A Dark and Terrible Beauty
by Calla Mae
Summary: What would happen if Gandalf called on a skin changer to help with the quest to destroy the ring? And what if she had met Legolas years before? Would he welcome her as a friend, or would he view her as the beast she is? Legolas x OC
1. the night is slowly closing

"Who is that?" Frodo asked looking over Bilbo's shoulder at the drawing. It was lovely, intricate details had been painstakingly etched in order to capture the strange beauty of the woman. And beside her face was a small etching of a dragon.

"No one," Bilbo said quickly, gathering the drawing and hiding it. Her tale was not his to tell, nor did he wish to. The strange woman had willingly aided the quest to reclaim Erebor. And Bilbo had let himself be talked out of releasing her from her cell in Mirkwood, something he still felt a burning shame for.

When Frodo had left Bilbo held the drawing once more. She had been so beautiful, in a strange and dangerous way. No drawing could ever capture her golden eyes, no memory could do her justice. She had become a friend, a reluctant one, but a friend all the same. She had fought with them and won them victory in the only battle Bilbo had ever been apart of; but Thorin had died and she had left, leaving a painful echo of her scream of despair. And that had been the last he'd seen her, and every day he found himself missing her.

…

Erytheia came when she was called, as she had the last time. Memories of Thorin Oakenshield and his company – and ultimately of the elf prince who had shown her kindness when she did not deserve it – made her hesitant to Gandalf's request.

"Please Erytheia," he said when she turned her back on him, preparing to take flight and leave all the chances of sorrow behind.  
She stopped at his plea, having always thought of the wizard as a friend; even if he did ask her for more than she could give.  
"Do you remember the ring Bilbo found on the quest?" he asked, wisely not speaking Thorin's name aloud. He waited until she nodded her large black head. "He has bequeathed it to his young nephew. Now it is unto Frodo Baggins to destroy it, and it is of grave importance that he finds victory in this quest."

She sighed irritably, sounding more a dangerous growl, wishing he would stop with the elegant words and tell her what it was he wanted from her.

He saw her irritation, knowing she would sooner take flight than listen for too long. "You will be needed Erytheia, and I do not think it will be the ring bearer you must assist." Gandalf saw the understanding in her large serpentine eyes, as well as the still present hesitation. "We will leave from Rivendell and I fear the path we must take. We would need you then."  
He waited until he saw the reluctant agreement in her yellow eyes before continuing – wholly relieved that she would not refuse, and knowing she would not lie about what she was a second time. "Follow us once we depart and stay hidden until you see that your help is most dire. If that moment does not arise I will call for you. Do you understand Erytheia?" The wizard watched as she nodded her great black head.

"Go to Rivendell and wait there, some time will pass before we will be ready to set forth." Gandalf took a step back and observed Erytheia, in all her terrible beauty, take to the sky on her large black wings. He wondered what reception she'd receive, for knowledge of her changing skins had not led to anything but pain on the last quest he had requested her aid in.

…

She waited outside of Rivendell for almost a year before the ring bearer arrived, and then more time still for him to heal from his wounds. She hid herself well enough that no one besides Gandalf knew she was there. It was possible Aragorn knew she was near, they'd met many years ago when he first went by the name of Strider. But she'd a different appearance when they first met, and it was only when he was endangered that she showed her true self. He asked her to stay with him for a time, her being his only companion and him being the same to her, in which they grew fonder of one another. She left him only when Gandalf called her, and now she laid in waiting.

She kept herself curled in a cave looking over the beautiful elven stronghold, watching as elves and dwarves and men rode in from far away. She saw a familiar blond head ride up and her heart nearly stopped at seeing him after seventy seven years; he looked exactly as she remembered him.

In no way was she surprised when he stepped forward to take part in the quest to destroy the ring, she had guessed he would – it was his nature. Nor was she surprised when Aragorn stepped forward – the first to volunteer. Another man, a dwarf, Gandalf, and four hobbits made up the last of the company. Out of the nine members of the fellowships only three knew of her existence; the dwarf and man would mistrust her the most, possibly even try to kill her.

Though she knew Aragorn would not let harm to come to her, nor would Gandalf. She was not entirely certain but she did not think Legolas would either. And so when the Fellowship of the Ring left Rivendell to embark on their quest, she followed after them unseen.

* * *

_For those of you who read the original story I would like to thank you. For those of you who have not, I decided to rewrite this story. Which included writing a prequel called Hopeless Wanderer, found under the Hobbit. Erytheia (pronounced Er-ray-thee-uh) is a skin changer, like Beorn, and I am trying to keep her as little of a Mary Sue as possible. So if she starts becoming a sue please let me know so I can fix it. Please leave a review to let me know you're interested. Thank you for reading. _


	2. but my eyes are slowly opened

_Suzanne: thank you so much for reviewing. _

_I would like to thank you all for reading, and those who reviewed. It really made my day to see some familiar reviewers and followers and favorite(rs) - and some new ones. So thank you._

* * *

After following the fellowship for days on foot Erytheia longed to spread her wings, but Gandalf had told her to remain hidden so she stayed far back keeping a watchful eye on each member. She found that she did not quite like the other man, Boromir, who contained too much pride and arrogance. The dwarf Gimli remained true to his kind in that of him acting before he thought – he reminded her greatly of his father Gloin. She watched the hobbits as well, though after meeting Bilbo she had a softness in her heart for them. She watched Merry and Pippin closest, namely Pippin for he was reckless and lacked common sense – a dangerous combination. Gandalf and Aragorn were as she remembered, Aragorn the most for she had just left him a year ago.

But her eyes mostly stayed on Legolas, the elf she had never meant to befriend – something she did not know if she could say. He looked over his shoulder often, searching the distance behind them with his bright blue eyes; it was after a few days before she realized he could feel her, or at least someone following them.

…

"I can feel someone moving behind us," Legolas said hushedly to Gandalf as they rested, hearing the sound of the others talking cheerfully to each other.

"Can you?" Gandalf asked unworried as he blew on his pipe.

Legolas looked over his shoulder toward where he felt the presence. "Yes," he answered softly, "I have felt it sense we left Imladris."

Gandalf took the pipe out of his mouth and looked up at the elf. "Do you think they mean us harm?" he asked, smartly not saying she; Legolas would have known immediately if he had.

Legolas stood thoughtfully before shaking his head. "I do not believe so," he mused though he was still wary and on guard.

"What is that?"

Legolas and Gandalf turned to where Boromir was looking. The first thought in Legolas' head at seeing a black shape flying toward them had been Erytheia – that was how close to his heart he still kept her memory – but there was more than one shape and so it could not have been her. "Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted sending them all in panicked frenzy to hide.

…

Erytheia knew they were Crebain before Legolas did, and so she was already hidden. But she could hear them speaking, squawking like birds, and she understood that they had seen the fellowship. It was in that she did not know what to do, if Gandalf wanted her to try to kill them – but there were so many and they tended to attack her underbelly where she was weakest – or if Gandalf wished her to simply let them be. If it was her decision she would try to kill them all so Saruman would not hear of the fellowship, but she did not know what Gandalf would decide. And then she realized this would have to be her decision, for she could not tell Gandalf in the skin she was in.

So while the fellowship was hiding behind rocks or in bushes, Erytheia erupted into the sky – following behind the Crebain – and spewed a wall of flame at their flock. She burned a quarter of them and their roasted carcasses fell to the ground. Half of what was left turned on her, flying at her and hitting her with their sharp beaks. Many of them fell away uselessly but a few made contact and embedded in her belly before flying off and restarted their attack. She growled at them, sounding more a roar, before spewing flame at several of them.

She was hurt and bleeding slightly before she had killed them all and then she looked to see a quarter of the original number leagues away.

"Erytheia!" Gandalf roared and she sighed before slowly lowering herself to stand before him.

The fellowship had hid themselves but they had seen the large black dragon flying after the Crebain, killing the majority of them. That did not stop the fear rising in their hearts, though confusion settled around them when Gandalf called sternly to the dragon.

Shock. That was all Legolas felt, and even then it was not an adequate word for the feeling he felt. He had never thought to see her again, and even though this was not the form he wished to see he was relieved to see her again non the less.

Erytheia landed in front of Gandalf, nearly bowing her head to the ground as a dog would when being reprimanded. She lowered her belly to the ground and looked at Gandalf's enraged face.

"Of all the reckless and foolish," he muttered as he glowered at her. She huffed at him, her only way of speaking and he looked hard at her. Staring into her golden eyes his anger slowly dissipated as realization dawned on him. "They will inform Saruman of our path," he said understanding why she had done it.

"You know this beast?" Boromir asked, keeping Merry and Pippin behind him.

"I suppose the time is now to tell you, I requested her aide," Gandalf said reluctantly, casting her a last hard look before turning to the others. "Her name is Erytheia, a skin changer, and she is kind and strong and has proven useful. We will need her on the journey we are partaking, and she has agreed to be of assistance. She may change her mind should any of you be less than gracious that she is helping." Gandalf explained firmly, namely to Boromir.

"I never," Gimli said staring at her in awe. "My father spoke of a dragon woman, one who had aided Thorin Oakenshield."

"Yes, Master Gimli, this is the woman your father told you of," Gandalf told him, seeing the only threat lay in Boromir, for Legolas was staring at her in the same awe as the dwarf.

Aragorn gave her a small smile and a wink before gathering Frodo and Sam. "Gandalf," Frodo said quietly, "what were they."

Gandalf turned to the small hobbit, who reminded him so much of his uncle Bilbo. "Spies of Saruman," he answered with disgust. "The passage south is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhras."

They all turned to look at the steep slope of the snow covered mountain, knowing it would take days. Boromir watched the dragon mistrustfully, Gimli in fascination, the hobbits in waried fear, Aragorn in fondness, and Legolas in longing – Gandalf did not watch her at all. Erytheia followed after them, walking slowly at Aragorn's side, sneaking her own glances at the elven prince. It would prove to be a long journey, one with endings not a single one of them could guess.


	3. and I see that somewhere in you

Erytheia stayed at the back of the group, nudging the hobbits and Gimli when the snow proved too deep and they fell. The wind was too strong for her to fly, and though she wished to spread her wings she stayed in the snow. It was a slow climb, a weary one. And there was not much sleep to be had when they rested for it was too cold, and the winds too strong for a fire.

Pippin, who had fallen the most, decided to lean against the dragon after trying miserably to sleep; and found he was right, she was warm. "Merry," he whispered, though it was not very quiet.

"What?" Merry called back, his arms around his middle as he sat shivering.

"Come here," Pippin said.

Merry grumbled but he walked towards the sound of his friend's voice. He hesitated for a moment before he sat against Erytheia, afraid she might turn and growl at them but she did nothing but lay there.

"She's warm, right?" Pippin asked happily, already sleep taking hold.

Frodo and Sam were not far behind the other two, and eventually all nine of the fellowship took refuge in her warmth – though Boromir had refused, Erytheia had flopped her tail on his chest and warmed him anyways.

Aragorn and Gandalf were at her back, and Legolas leaned himself against her front leg. He'd missed her, though he was happy she was no longer in one of her father's cells, he had missed seeing her everyday. He wanted her to change skins, he wanted to see if the memory he kept of her dark beauty was true, or if he had only dreamt her.

As warm and comfortable as they were when they slept, they were freezing when they walked through the snow. It was not until Frodo fell, nearly losing the ring, that Erytheia began walking at the front; leaving the hobbits and Gimi to walk in the small crevices her feet made in the snow.

Legolas wished to speak to her, to hear how she had been the years since she'd left – but she could not, at least not in her current skin. So instead he walked at her side, his feet not heavy enough to break the surface of the snow. He would never hate her, he knew that now – but he could not explain his infatuation, if it was even that anymore. She was someone he had not meant to care for, but now that he started he did not know if he could ever stop.

They walked for days up the mountain and were now trying to pass along the sides. The shelf that they were walking on was too small for Erytheia and so she flew beside them, but they could all see she was tiring from flying against the wind.

"There is a fell voice on the air," Legolas said, standing on the ledge at the head of the group. Erytheia cocked her head and listened, realizing there was – only she could feel something buzzing in the air as well.

"It's Saruman," Gandalf yelled as a lighting bolt struck the rock above them sending them down toward their ledge.

Erytheia heard the cracking of the rocks above them, saw that their path was aimed at the shelf the group was walking on, so she spread her wings above them taking the brunt of the hit. She would have fallen, crushed under the rocks, if one of them hadn't landed on her left wing trapping her against the shelf under its weight.

"Erytheia," Legolas called startled, afraid they'd lose her – that had been the moment, other than strange glances, that Aragorn realized it had been Legolas Erytheia had been longing over.

They could all hear the whining noise coming from the dragon as she tried to free her wing. Aragorn watched her try to gain a footing only to slip and she'd hang by her trapped wing. Only Legolas could see the blood on her back where the rocks had cut her, and he began pushing the rock trying to roll it off the side. After a moment he managed to free her wing and she could fly again.

While Legolas worked at freeing Erytheia Gandalf tried to stop Saruman, though he failed. She barely had time to fly out of the way as all of the snow on the side above them came rushing down. Her back ached, her wing growing numb now, and she flew wearily to keep level with them against the wind.

"We must get up the Mountain," Boromir shouted. "Make for the Gap of Rohan, and take the west road to my city."

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard," Aragorn told him.

"We cannot pass over the mountain," Gimli said, something Erytheia would all too happily agree with. "Let us go under it," that she would not agree with, "let us go through the Mines of Moria."

Erytheia looked to Gandalf, knowing the wizard would refuse – that he must. Only she was wrong.

"Let the ring bearer decide," he said, leaving the impossible choice up to the small hobbit.

Frodo knew they could not make it any further, that being all too clear by the way Erytheia flew lower than she had before. "We will go through the mines."

Aragorn looked to Erytheia, seeing her strength was waning. "Erytheia, wait for us down the mountain where you can stand," he yelled to her, and she flew off.

It was a while later that they made it to her, seeing her laying curled around herself asleep. And they all leaned against her for the night. Legolas walked around her to see the scratches on her back, wondering if they hurt, before he moved around to where her head was. Her eyes were as yellow as he remembered, as inhuman and yet full of emotion. He leaned himself against her neck below her chin where he could feel the pulse of her heart in her vein, lulling him to sleep.

When the sun rose they wearily got to their feet and trudged down the mountain, where they began their descent into the Mines of Moria.

* * *

_The song lyrics that I've decided to do for the chapter titles is Redemption by the Strange Familiar - and I think it's a really beautiful song you should check out on youtube if you haven't heard it. My thought is that it's from Legolas' point of view to Erytheia, so I hope you guys like it. _


	4. there is a good heart

The ground was rock leading to the mines, a thick mist covering the air. Erytheia could not fly in it, not if she wanted to see. "It would be best should you change skin now," Gandalf told her as they began walking along the rocks, seeing her struggle to find footing.

Erytheia looked at the wizard and then at Aragorn seeing him waiting expectantly; she reluctantly nodded before she shook herself free of her black scales.

All but Gandalf and Aragorn gasped when she changed, even Legolas though his was inaudible, and a strangely beautiful woman stood before them. She did not like so many eyes on her face, she could nearly feel them like swords pricking her; in truth it was his eyes she could feel, blue ones that stared astonishedly at her. His were the eyes that had been plaguing her thoughts, just as her yellow eyes did him.

"You are more lovely than my father said," Gimli said in awe. The dwarf was not the only one staring in wonder; the hobbits were amazed, as was Boromir though he did not appear it.

Gandalf was not paying her a bit of mind, but rather he looked at the wall to see if the door could be seen from here; it could not. Aragorn watched her amused for he knew she did not like many people, especially not if they were all staring at her.

Legolas was the only one looking at the rest of her – the others could hardly take their eyes from her face – he took all of her in. She was in a new dress, this one as black as her scales had been. It wasn't until Gandalf beckoned to her that he saw there was no back to her dress, the wings painted on her skin plain for anyone to see. As well as the many cuts. The rocks had hurt her more than he'd thought, there were several cuts and many of them were deep. But she did not appear to notice.

How could she notice anything? She ignited when she brushed past him, feeling his hand against hers as she moved by him – he had reached for her, ever so slightly, and he had been rewarded with the feel of her warm skin. Her heart was a drum and it beat endlessly leaving her nearly breathless. Aragorn noticed all of this; he noticed her flustered reaction, he noticed Legolas' enrapturement with her, he noticed the yearning in both their eyes. What he did not know was what had happened; she had never told him, only that they had known each other for but a month. _It must have been a hell of a month,_ he thought as Legolas' eyes followed her as she moved.

"See if you cannot help me find it," Gandalf told her when she reached him. And that started the long process of scouring the walls for the hidden door.

Erytheia had found herself in front of Gimli, with Legolas behind him gazing heavily at her from behind. He took in every inch of her; the dark wings on her back, the curve of her hips, the length of her legs. She was even lovelier when she was not imprisoned; though he could not help feeling that she was more dangerous.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli said before hitting his hammer on the rock wall beside them, aiming his response at the dragon lady in front of him; who his father had said was the greatest friend they could ever have asked for, even if they had made a terrible mistake in leaving her to the elves.

"Yes Gimli, even their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten," Gandalf told him, searching high and low for any sign of dwarvish markings.

Legolas restrained from rolling his eyes but he could not help the words slipping from his tongue. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" he derided making Gimli nearly growl in anger.

Erytheia looked over her shoulder at him with a cocked brow and Legolas could not hold her golden gaze, though he could see the amusement shining in their depths. When he turned his eyes back to her she had already turned back around to look for the door. He wanted to speak to her, to ask her of her years, to tell her of his; he wanted to give her the deepest of apologies for not having released her of his own accord – something he realized he should have done, something that had hurt her – but more than anything he just wanted to be near her. And for the life of him he could not figure out why.

Erytheia was thinking the same, only she had never been good with words. It had always been easier to be a dragon, speaking was not expected; now as a human, she had no inkling of what she was supposed to say - How have you been? Do you remember the time your oldest friend died while I was trying to protect her? Do you remember when I killed your kin but spared you? Or when you left me locked in your father's cell to make war with my friends? Those were good times, weren't they? - there was nothing for her to say, nothing she could think of.

It was not much longer before Gandalf found the markings he was looking for, and they all watched as the moonlight illuminated the door, filling the carvings with its light – it was beautiful, even Legolas had to admit it.

"It reads," Gandalf said looking up at the ancient letters, "Doors of Durin, lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter."

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry said, peeking around the skirt of Erytheia's dress as he stood behind her.

"It's quite simple," Gandalf told him. "If you are a friend and you speak the password then the doors will open."

It did sound quite simple, Erytheia thought. Only then what was the password? She was proven right when Gandalf tried twice to open the doors, saying something very elaborate in an even more ancient language, only for the doors to remain unmoved.

Legolas looked at Erytheia, seeing her eyes on the door, and then down at Pippin who stood between them.

"Nothing's happenin'," Pippin said looking up at Legolas. The elf did not miss the quirk of Erytheia's mouth, seeing she was amused by the hobbit. "What are you going to do then?" Pippin asked Gandalf innocently curious.

"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took," Gandalf said crossly turning on the hobbit. "And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words."

Pippin blinked in surprise and he looked down chastised and blushing. A hand on his shoulder had him looking up to see Erytheia. She gave him a small smile and he smiled in return, feeling a slight bit better. She squeezed his shoulder, her smile widening, before releasing him and looking up – her smile slipping away when she met Legolas' eyes.

They said nothing, they couldn't think of anything worth saying – or that they were brave enough to say. And so Legolas stood beside where Erytheia sat speaking with Gimli stealing glances at her. It was a long while of trying before Gandalf gave up and sat down himself.

"Speak friend and enter," Frodo mused, trying to make himself useful as the ring bearer, and to get them into the mines and away from the troubling waters. "It is a riddle. What is the elvish word for friend?"

The words slipped effortless from his lips. "Mellon," Gandalf answered.

The sound of rocks grinding together as they moved brought everyone to their feet. Legolas felt Erytheia at his back, her shoulder against his – a touch that seared him – as they watched the doors to the mines open.


	5. there is a good soul

_Tina: thank you very much for reviewing, I'm glad you like it. _

* * *

The moment the doors opened Erytheia felt something behind them. She looked out over the water, seeing ripples racing in their direction – that should have been the first sign that something was in the water, for the ripples should have been moving away from them; unless something was moving closer to them from in the water – as it was, with the excitement of the door now being opened Erytheia did not think on it. Her eyes met Aragorn's and she could see he was as uneasy as she.

A touch on her hand, softer than a butterfly's kiss, had her turning to Legolas to see he too felt something. His skin buzzed from where he'd felt her warm skin, and he let her enter the blackness before him, watching the water as he followed closely behind her.

Death. It smelled of death and decay, of bones long since used; it reminded her of Smaug's cave, for there had been a great many carcass.

"Soon, Master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat right off the bone," Gimli said voraciously looking up at Legolas.

Erytheia did not think that would be the case, not with the way it smelled – it did not smell as though anything friendly were still alive in the depths.

"This my friend, is the home to my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine."

If she had been a dragon her ears would have perked at Balin's name; as it was she looked at Gimli with wide eyes and dread in her heart.

"Do you remember him, milady?" Gimli asked her.

Legolas looked to see something close to pain on Erytheia's face as she looked around her. "Yes," she answered softly.

Gimli smiled. "He will be most happy to see you."

She did not think so. In fact, she thought him to be dead.

"This is no mine," Boromir said seeing the shapes on the ground were not rocks, "it's a tomb."

At that they all looked down at their feet to see Boromir was right, they were standing amidst several skeletons. Gimli's moans and yell echoed on the stone as he knelt by his dead kin.

"Goblins," Legolas said. Erytheia looked see him holding a crude arrow he'd taken from a dwarf's chest, before he flung it away and notched an arrow.

They all armed themselves, feeling the oncoming threat; all except Erytheia. In truth she did not know what she felt, perhaps she felt everything. She felt fear, anger, hatred, sorrow (though that one might have been her own), fury, and something so dark and black she nearly trembled. But the reason she did not arm herself was that she felt something behind them, where the threat had been all along.

"Arm yourself," Aragorn beckoned to her, hardly paying her mind; but paying her enough to know she was not moving.

She turned a moment before Frodo cried out to see him fall. Legolas, noticing her extreme concentration, turned his eyes to where she was looking to see the small hobbit being pulled toward the water.

"Strider!" Sam yelled, calling the rest of their attention to the monster in the water. When they reached the door a number of tentacles had emerged, throwing aside the other hobbits and lifting poor Frodo into the air.

Legolas was at her back, loosing an air that went through her hair – if it had been another time he would have smiled at her appalled look, as it was they both turned away from each other. Erytheia gathered Sam, Merry and Pippin. Pippin, who the fondest of the dragon woman, stood at her back clutching the skirt of her dress as he watched helplessly as Frodo was dangled over the creature's mouth. Merry was close at Pippin's side, looking around her other hip, and when Frodo was free of the Watcher in the Water she ushered Merry and Pippin back into the mines.

The creature crawled after them, reaching for them through the door. "Erytheia, burn it!" Aragorn roared.

It shrieked when she did, her large black body shielding the fellowship from her flames. It thrashed its arms about, breaking chunks of the door to seal them in there – to seal the dragon in.

She ceased her flame and all at once all light went out. They stood in the darkness, having been staring in fear at the dragon and the water monster – not sure which was more terrifying. But they all knew one thing; she would make the most horrid of enemies.

"We now have but one choice," Gandalf said before lighting his staff. "We must face the long dark of Moria."

Pippin looked up to see the dragon had nearly wrapped herself around them, her head looking down at him. She nudged him gently and he walked with Merry after the others, leaving her Aragorn and Boromir to follow. She shook herself of her scales and walked behind Aragorn, feeling Boromir's eyes glancing her way.

"Quietly now," Gandalf warned. "It is a four days journey from here to the other side. Let us hope our presence may go unnoticed."

They all walked warily, not even Pippin spoke that was how tense they all were. It was hours of walking through the tunnel before they actually reached the mines, it was sudden – the rock ceiling above them was simply gone, and they looked up to see how massive the room they were in was.

And all the while Boromir had stolen glances out of the corner of his eye. He nearly blushed when she turned fully to him, realizing she had noticed his staring. "I am glad you fight on our side," he told her softly, offering her his friendship.

Aragorn looked at her over his shoulder and winked at her face with its knitted brows, the corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. And there it was: all nine of the fellowship had deemed Erytheia a friend, and now she was truly apart of their company. And she would prove to be most needed.

* * *

_So I'm thinking since it's a four days walk, that Balin's tomb was at the end of the four days (since they reached the end of the mines not even an hour later). Which means I now have four days to do - so I'm thinking of doing really the nights, and that's when Legolas and Erytheia will talk. And I'm kind of excited to finally have them talking. _


	6. for everyone lost in the silence

It was three days they traveled before they reached lighter air, which Gandalf assured them meant their time in the mines was coming to an end. The walking was not difficult, they had no problem walking for hours – for shadows danced when they sat still, and it struck fear in their hearts. The nights were the worst, when the light was dim and they could barely see – their minds tricked them into thinking things were standing over them preparing to kill them. Nothing was, but in the dark their minds told them all sorts of lies.

Erytheia was the only one who did not tremble with fear; why would she, she could see well enough in the dark to know nothing was near. She could feel that nothing was around them – though the black thing was laying in wait, somewhere far from them, that is the only thing that made her afraid.

She lay by Legolas at night, though that was his choice – if she had it her way she would slept away from him. Now she could literally feel him beside her, and it made it hard to relax. She tried to think of something to say, but she couldn't find anything.

He couldn't either, and he had hoped she might speak first. It wasn't until the second night, laying so close to her they were almost touching, that he realized she would not speak first. She hadn't been one for words, and she had done nothing that required her to be the first to talk. It would have to be him. And so he wracked his mind for what to say, and decided to stick with something easy – something safe.

"Can you see in the dark?" he asked, after turning to her almost seeing her eyes were glowing.

She looked over him, brows furrowed and eyes wide; it was the first thing he'd actually said to her. "Yes," she answered in a whisper. "Can you not?" she asked, not entirely sure what exactly elves were capable of – they were almost as strange and magical as she was.

"No," he said, almost laughing at the idea though he wouldn't mind the ability now. "My eyes are only used to the sun."

She looked at his face, knowing he couldn't really see hers. But they were so close she could see almost every detail, he really was very handsome – almost beautiful. And she could feel the uneasiness coming from him, could hear it in his voice. "You do not like the dark," she mused as she turned away from him, staring at the blackness of the ceiling high above them.

He strained to see her, wanting to see her lovely face. He had passed the age where he was supposed to take up an elleth, to find interest in at least one – he had fancied his bow and arrows, and his swords, more than any female. And so he did not understand his interest in the dragon woman – who couldn't have more different from an elf than a human was from a dragon – he did not understand what it was he was trying to see. "No I do not," he told her softly. "Evil dwells in the dark."

All ease she had felt fled then, for he did not understand what he had just said to her. "As a dragon I like to sleep in caves, where no light can find me."

"You are not evil," he said before she could finish, it not being a conscious thought to think of her as such.

She looked at him, seeing he was looking ahead of him, wondering how he could sound so sure. "How do you know?" she asked, not as certain as he seemed to be.

And there it was, the sadness that had lasted a few centuries – he had often wondered if he'd imagined it. "I can feel it," he told her gently, now realizing she did not believe she was good. Why would she? Everyone feared her, hated her, for what she was; what she could not control. And then he knew what to say to her. "I should have released you myself."

She was shocked, she had not thought he would say that – that he would admit he was wrong not to have. And by saying that he not only showed her his regret, he showed her that he truly did believe she was good. "I was not yours to release," she said reminding him his father had taken her prisoner, trying to show him she did not blame him for her capture.

He smiled at that and looked over at her, meeting her strange eyes that he could see. "You had no place in our cells, something my father learned too late. For all of you."

He turned away from her and she stared at the side of his face. He was apologizing for Thorin, for Fili and Kili; he was taking the blame for his father's mistakes. She might have been able to save them if she had not been imprisoned, if he had only let her go like he had thought of.

She couldn't think of anything to do, and so she did something without thinking. She inched her hand along the ground until she brushed against Legolas' fingers, hearing him draw a breath – it was as though lightening was coursing through their veins. Legolas grabbed her hand, feeling her warm skin scorching him the tighter he held her. Their fingers wound together, binding them and they shared a dream; lying in a field, the sun shining blindingly, birds chirping, wind blowing, their hands entwined. It was a pity that dawn came and they were forced awake.

…

Early on the third day they reached a large staircase, broken from age and destruction. And once they climbed it, which the hobbits literally had to climb from their small size, they came to three passageways; the left passage went down while the right passage went up and the middle passage appeared to run smooth.

Gandalf looked hard at each passage, trying to draw something to mind. "I have no memory of this place," he said at last.

Pippin was the first to sit, glad to rest his aching feet. Erytheia sat beside him, comforting him with her everpresent warmth. Legolas stood at her side, leaning against the wall, her shoulder against his leg.

Gimli liked Erytheia, and he liked her even more when she spoke kindly of his father. He did not like the elf, as was natural for a dwarf – especially a dwarf who's father had been held prisoner by the elf's father – but he had heard Legolas Erytheia's hushed voices the night before.

Aragorn had too, and now he knew how the two had met – surprised at how fond they were of each other. He expected Erytheia to hate the elf, for she had been a prisoner, only she did not. In fact, she seemed to treasure him; that much he had seen as they traveled together for years, before he had known it to be Legolas who held such a place in her heart.

"Ah," Gandalf explained suddenly hours later, "it's that way."

"He's remembered," Merry said happily as they all stood.

"No," Gandalf informed him, "but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

Erytheia looked after Gandalf with her brows knitted irritably. If that was how he was going to choose the way then he could have asked for her nose a lot sooner, she thought as she followed after.

They went down the left passageway leading with the Wizard, Frodo, Gimli, Merry, Pippin, Erytheia, Legolas, Boromir and Aragorn. When they came to the bottom of the stairs they were in a great room where they could not see the walls nor the ceiling in.

"Behold," Gandalf said, "the great realm and the dwarf city, Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf gave them more light and they found that they were in a large hall lined with pillars, it was beautiful in the soft light.

They walked a great distance through the hall, which was even larger than it had appeared, when Gimli saw a room and ran towards it in much haste, forcing them to run after him. They entered the room, hearing Gimli's moans of sorrow, to see a light shining on a tomb.

Erytheia stood at the back of the room knowing exactly who it was, feeling her heart grow heavy as she thought of the first dwarf in Thorin's Company to show her kindness.

Gandalf moved closer to the tomb and read aloud the markings. "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria."


	7. for everyone missing peace

There was no word for what she felt when she looked on Balin's grave, at least not one known to her – though there were a vast array of human emotions she knew the name of but not how they felt. And so she did not know what she was feeling, only that the knot in her throat meant she was trying not to cry.

"We should move on," Legolas said hushedly to Aragorn. "We cannot linger."

Erytheia turned to him, preparing to be angry, until she saw his eyes and realized why he was trying to urge them onwards – she could feel something. It was strange. Almost as though it were swarming around them, loud yet they could not hear it, horrible yet they could not see it. And it was close, and quickly starting to realize they were there.

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall," Gandalf read from a dwarf's book. "We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums. Drums, in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out."

Erytheia realized something as she listened; the words were read like a poem, an awful terrifying poem but it was almost beautiful. She had read many like it, though they had always been of happier things. And everything became too awful for her – they were Ori's words. All the proof she needed lie in Gandalf's eyes when he looked up at her.

She jumped startled by the noise, as was everyone else, and they all looked to see Pippin looking sheepish next to a headless skeleton. They might have gotten away with it if not for the entire skeleton following the head, bucket and all, down the long well – clattering and banging loud enough to wake even the longest sleeping creature. Which it did. And Erytheia felt the moment it's blackness locked onto where they where they were.

"Fool of a Took," Gandalf said chastisingly making the poor hobbit flinch. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity." Gandalf snatched his things out of the hobbit's hands, glaring down at him as he silently cursed him – praying they might possibly go unnoticed.

That was when the drumming began and the sound of shrieking reached their ears. It echoed all around them. "Orcs," Legolas said recognizing the sound.

Boromir ran to the door to see how they faired - Legolas heard the arrow as it came closer but Erytheia had heard it before it left the bow and pulled the man's head out the way; not before they both saw the cave troll. Aragorn grabbed her waist and pushed her toward the hobbits and she gathered them behind her, casting a dreadful look at Gandalf who placed himself in front of her.

"Can you not turn into a dragon, lady Erytheia?" Sam questioned almost pleadingly, "and kill them all?"

She looked at the short ceiling before turning to Sam with wide eyes. "Would you like me to step on you?" she asked him incredulous, if she should change skins she would crush at least one of them for she was not small enough to fit in the room. Sam shook his head realizing they were doomed.

And that settled it, they all realized at that moment a dragon was of no use – they would have to fight this one with weapons and hope there were not many orcs. So they stood weapons in hand staring at the barred door and listening to the orcs gather behind it.

"Let them come," Gimli growled as he stood atop Balin's tomb. "There is still one dwarf in Moria who still draws breath."

Erytheia gave him a flickering look, hardly paying him mind though she disagreed with him – there were worse things than orcs in these mines, she could feel it coming for them like a thief in the night; silent, unnoticed for the moment, and dangerous.

And then the orcs broke through.

Erytheia had Pippin and Merry at her back and was slicing through every orc that came near. Her sword cut through every one of them as if they were made of nothing more than a thin fabric.

There were a mess of orcs around her, and Legolas watched her spin and take out more. He kept an eye on her as he shot down the creatures in front of him – his eyes flicking every so often to her form. He heard every grunt, every sound of exultation as she fought – as she killed all those around her with the ease of a dancer. And then the cave troll burst into the room, stealing his eyes away from her. That was the moment Erytheia lost track of her hobbits.

Nothing they did had effect on the troll; Legolas' arrows, Gimli's ax, their swords. It did nothing but infuriate it – and Erytheia longed for nothing but to sink her teeth into the ugly beast. But she resisted – the troll was going after poor little Sam.

Aragorn and Boromir pulled on the troll's chain, trying with all their might to pull the troll back from the hobbit – if only they had one more pair of hands, they thought, even a hobbit's. They instead got a skin changer, who was far stronger than a hobbit or man, and she helped them heft the chain turning the troll's attention on them. The problem was that the chain was wrapped around Boromir's hand, and so the troll flung him against a wall knocking the sense out of the man.

Aragorn threw his sword at one orc and Erytheia charged another. Boromir watched dazed as she bent her neck back to keep from getting her head taken off by the orc, and then as she spun regaining her footing and took the orc's head instead.

"Get up," she ordered roughly pulling him to his feet, turning to stab an orc and then looking back to see Boromir could at least lift his sword in defense. If Boromir had not already trusted the skin changer that would have the moment he'd have sworn his allegiance, as it was he nodded his thanks and she turned away.

Only Aragorn noticed that the troll was pursuing Frodo, but everyone knew the moment it speared the hobbit. There was a moment of pause as they all looked on shocked, and then they began fighting harder than they had before.

Erytheia turned from the orc she'd just slain when she heard the yells of Merry and Pippin. She turned to see them on the troll's head stabbing it with their small swords, though it did nothing but make it roar in fury. The troll grabbed Merry and was holding him by the foot, whilst Gimli and Gandalf began striking the thing in the leg with their ax and sword. Erytheia caught Merry as the troll threw him down, and they watched as Legolas shot an arrow into the troll's mouth; throwing Pippin off as the beast fell dead.

When all their foe were dead they gathered around the ring bearer, seeing him lie unmoving on his belly. Frodo coughed when Aragorn rolled him over, causing them all to nearly sigh with relief at seeing the brave hobbit was alive. They were in for even larger shock when they discovered Frodo was wearing a shirt of mithril.

Erytheia cocked her head when she heard a faint noise, trying to catch the sound and make it louder. Legolas was at her side and he strained his ears to hear what she did, and his eyes widened when he did. It was only a moment longer before the noise, moving very fast towards them, was heard by the rest of the fellowship – they all recognized it, it was the sound of orcs.

"To the bridge of Khazad-dûm," Gandalf urged before they all began to run.


	8. for every will that is broken

_I'm not sure how well I explained it, but with the Balrog he is a very powerful evil creature. And Erytheia, being part animal, can feel that evilness and it's like this darkness just creeping towards them. So when the Balrog does find them it's very overwhelming for her, and she's basically drowning in the feeling of scary and evil and blackness - so when you get to that part of this chapter, that's why she's so timid and wary, and afraid._

* * *

They ran from the room hearing the orcs coming after them. Soon after they began to see the orcs, some coming from the ceiling, some coming from the sides, and some from before them and behind them; not long after they were trapped in a circle of swarming grotesque orcs. The fellowship formed their own circle as they held their weapons, realizing there were too many for them to fight.

"Now can you turn into a dragon, milady?" Sam asked fearfully.

Legolas looked to his left to see her standing with her sword at her side, neither moving nor looking at the orcs.

"Erytheia," Aragorn said trying to get her to respond. Now would be the time when she would change skins and kill the orcs, it's what she'd always done when they traveled together.

"Erytheia," Legolas said softly.

His voice was but a whisper in her ear and she turned to him with wide eyes full of fear. He held his bow and arrow taut in his arm as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what it was that was frightening her so. And then what could only be called a boom vibrated through all of Moria, and it sent the orcs running back into their crevices.

Erytheia could feel it moving closer, could feel its blackness as though she were suffocating under a blanket. This is what she and Gandalf had been afraid of, had been afraid of waking. The air grew tight in her lungs and she found it hard to breathe, the smell of burning now reaching her nose as the thing stepped closer.

Once the orcs had left, taking with them their chittering and shrieking and clambering, the sound of a muffled growl reached their ears. A soft red glow filled the end of the hall, and it filled them all with fear.

Gandalf turned to Erytheia to see her waiting for his word on what he wished for her to do. He knew not even she stood a chance against it, not here. "Go see what you can but don't get too close, be swift and let nothing slow you. Come back quickly," he urged silently, and then watched as she ran.

The fellowship all watched as she raced into the light, seeing her skin change into the massive form of a dragon. Not a single one of them wished her to leave, Legolas stared at her pained and worried.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf.

The wizard thought hard for its name, and it wasn't until it made an even louder growl – the red glow darkening and coming closer – that he remembered. "A Balrog," he answered. "A demon of an ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you," he said, panic growing within him. "Run!"

Legolas cast a yearning look back to where Erytheia had run, no longer seeing her for she had reached the end of the hall and turned a corner. There was nothing he could, though he greatly wished for it, and so he ran.

She did not know what a Balrog was, she had never before laid eyes on one; but she could feel it's power, it's evil, and it frightened her. She could not fly, but running was a much quicker feat when she was a dragon, and she reached the bottom of a set of stairs within a few minutes. She changed into her human skin and inched her way forward, feeling the heat from the flames around her but not knowing where it was. She peered around the corner to see the bridge a slight distance away. She knew this was the bridge Gandalf was leading the others to. The fire around her burned hotter and her eyes began watering – that was when she realized the demon was behind her. She edged along the wall toward the bridge, trying to stay quiet and unnoticeable. It was several long painstaking moments before she reached the entrance to another room and she quickly rounded the corner and pressed her back against the wall, praying it had taken no notice of her.

"Erytheia?"

She turned at the whisper of Legolas' voice, seeing him and the others running down stairs toward her. She did not know whether to be relieved or worried, for the Balrog was coming closer. Gandalf pushed his way to her.

"He's waiting and we may yet be able to get across the bridge but he might bring it down while we're on it," Erytheia told him in a breathy rush when he reached her. "And if we do get across there's no way we could leave without him catching us or following after."

"You've done well, that was all I needed to know," he told her before she followed him from behind the safety of the corner.

She was left wondering what it was she had given him, for she had offered no means of escape. "Remember, he was never your path. You were not called to his aid," Gandalf reminded her quickly, seeing the time had come. She wasn't entirely sure what the wizard meant only that the he whom Gandalf spoke of was Frodo. She timidly looked over shoulder to see she had been right, the Balrog was behind them – and he was more a demon than she could have imagine.

It was not Aragorn, her closest friend, to pull her along toward the bridge; it was Legolas. He ran around her and grabbed her arm before pulling her with them. Turning once to see the Balrog step toward them before he urged them both faster.

She heard it walking behind them, the sound of rocks scraping together as it moved. And as Legolas pulled her after him across the bridge there was a moment when she expected the beast to break the bridge and kill them all. But they made it across, and Legolas stopped and held an arm around her back as they both looked to see Gandalf in the middle of the bridge facing the Balrog.

"You cannot pass," Gandalf demanded staring up at the demon.

Legolas could feel Erytheia against his chest, could almost feel her heart beating against his. Frodo's yell for the wizard was barely heard, except by Boromir who grabbed the hobbit. They watched as Gandalf raised his staff and sword and bellowed, "You shall not pass!" and then watched as a bright light erupted when he slammed them down onto the bridge. Even the Balrog had been wary, for but a moment. And then it stepped onto the bridge, and then it fell.

They all looked on positively relieved when Gandalf turned to them, thinking it was over. And then Gandalf fell.


	9. no matter how dark it may be

With no other option but get slaughtered by orcs, the remaining members of the fellowship ran down the mountain toward the woods of Lothlórien. Erytheia had no desire to enter the wood, a hesitation noted by Gimli when she stopped at the line of the trees.

"Come on, lassie," he told her, equally as unhappy. "Let us get this over with."

It seemed that other than Legolas, who was too enraptured by the beauty beneath the trees, Gimli was the only one who knew why she was wary. The last she stepped into an elf's woods she had been captured, she did not wish for that again. But Aragorn gave her a look and she reluctantly followed after; wishing she could just fly over instead.

She felt something touch her mind after only a moment of being in the trees, something that greatly startled her. It was as though a voice were speaking to her, a woman's lovely deep voice as smooth as the finest silk; though the words were not as sweet. "You are brave to step foot in these woods, dragon," it said in Erytheia's mind, causing her to look about warily. "Never before has a beast been allowed entrance. But will you be granted leave?"

"They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods," Gimli said in a hushed whisper to the hobbits – as much of whisper as dwarves are able to make. "An Elf witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell. And are never seen again."

Erytheia shivered, cold seeping in when the feeling in her mind vanished. She did not like these woods, and she liked them even less when she realized whatever she had heard was speaking to Frodo as well – she heard the quickening of his breath, saw the fearful way he cast his eyes about. And still they continued on.

"Well here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily," Gimli grumbled trying to be bold. "I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox."

Erytheia had forgotten to listen and so she missed the sounds of others until the moment before they were surrounded. She pulled her sword a second before an arrow was aimed at her, and she held it in front of both Merry and Pippin – both of whom were staring startled at the sharp arrows being aimed at them.

"A dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark," a deep voice said haughtily as he moved closer.

Aragorn held his hands up in a show of surrender and peace, hoping to be given shelter and food. Though a look at Legolas and Erytheia, who were both armed, made him nervous. Legolas was quick to unnotch his arrow, though Erytheia kept her sword in hand. Aragorn gave her a hard look and she hesitated but a moment before sheathing her weapon. The elves did not do the same, they kept their arrows aimed at her, sensing she was no human.

Aragorn beckoned her closer, seeing they were guarded towards her. She stood behind Legolas, seeing in his eyes that he knew she alone might be forced to leave.

Erytheia mistrusted the elf Haldir almost as much as he mistrusted her – staring hatefully into her golden eyes.

"What is she? She smells of the sky and fire. She is not welcome here," the elf told Aragorn. Aragorn moved in front of her so that she was behind both him and Legolas with Boromir at her back.

Haldir saw that they would not leave her and he sighed grievously. "Those who enter the wood do not leave," he warned both the strange woman and Aragorn. "Not unless it is permitted. The choice will be made by the lady of the wood, and it might not be in your favor."

Erytheia's eyes were hard at his threat, and she held his gaze until he looked away. Aragorn could see she was more worried than she was letting on, refusing to show weakness in the face of the elves, but he could do nothing; they needed shelter.

Legolas looked at her over his shoulder and gave her a small nod before stepping forward, leaving her to follow after. It was nearing dark when they reached the gates, and they were made to wait.

Legolas and Aragorn were the only ones who understood the elvish words Haldir spoke, something that greatly angered Gimli. "So much for the legendary courtesy of the elves," Gimli said irritated. "Speak words we can all understand."

The look in Haldir's eyes when he looked upon the dwarf held less than love they did when they looked on Erytheia. "We have not had dealings with dwarves since the dark days."

Erytheia did not know Khuzdul, but she had spent enough time with Thorin's company to know by Gimli's tone he had just insulted the elf, and it made her smile. Aragorn was not so amused.

Haldir's eyes moved to her next, and he stared long and hard at her as he tried to figure out what she was. Her eyes were golden, black wings painted on her back; there was really only one guess. "Is she a dragon?" he asked looking surprised at Aragorn.

He had been praying Haldir would not discover what she was. "She means no harm," he tried to assure him.

"You not only bring a skin changer into the lady of the wood's realm, but a dragon?" Haldir asked, looking at her dangerously.

Aragorn heard the growl sound from deep within her throat, and he gripped her wrist painfully until she stopped. "Hold your tongue," he hissed.

Erytheia looked at Aragorn, her closest friend, appalled. But he continued to stare her down, and finally she breathed a sigh and grit her teeth. If she had been a dragon smoke would have come out of her nose, that was how enraged she was.

All of this Haldir saw, and all of it made his refusal grow. And so while they others sat Aragorn stood trying to convince him not only that Frodo – who bore the ring that held such evil in it – should be granted entrance, but that Erytheia should as well.

It was an easier task getting Haldir to agree to both Frodo and Gimli than it was to get Haldir to agree to Erytheia. "She will burn our trees," Haldir insisted. "She is not welcome."

"I swear to you she means no harm," Aragorn appeased. "She is willingly offering us aid."

"That makes no difference," Haldir told him. "She is an animal, a beast."

"She is not," Legolas said finally, tired of them going back and forth over the matter. "A few years ago she was held in my father's cells, I spoke with her. She is good, I have seen it."

Aragorn looked at the elf surprised, seeing he cared for Erytheia in his willingness to defend her.

"The things she has done," Haldir insisted.

"She regrets all of them," Legolas said. "Can you not feel the lifetime of sorrow in her?"

Haldir paused at that, for if he tried hard enough he could; but he did not want to. "She is dangerous."

Legolas shook his head. "She isn't, only to her enemies. She fought by my side in the battle by the Lonely Mountain. She protected my oldest friend, who showed her more hatred than you have. And my father released her, for he saw the good in her. She _is_ good."

Haldir gazed hard at the younger elf, seeing he truly believed his words. And then he turned to the dragon woman, who was sitting beside two hobbits, looking at the sky through the trees. He gave both Legolas and Aragorn a last hard look before accepting, for the lady of the wood had already given her leave to come – Haldir had wanted to see if she were worthy, and Legolas had proved she just might be.

Erytheia had not understood a word that was spoken, for it was all in the elven tongue, but she knew the moment Legolas had opened his mouth it had been in her defense. She still did not understand the goodness he saw in her, but she remembered Tauriel's words; _"He believes there is good in you. Prove him wrong and I will kill you." _Tauriel was dead, there was nothing for Erytheia to fear; she could be as much of an animal as she wanted and Tauriel could do nothing. And yet Erytheia felt she owed it to her to at least try, and somehow she owed it to Legolas as well.

"You have been allowed entrance," Legolas said softly when he stood before her.

She looked up at him and nodded, none too thrilled to be entering another elf's realm. But she stood all the same, taking the place behind the elven prince and entering the wood.

* * *

_I hadn't planned this chapter to be so long, but considering Erytheia is what she is I figured it would take some convincing. It does show that Legolas cares a lot about her though. Next chapter will have at least one scene of just her and Legolas talking, and then they'll leave Lothlorien. I can't believe I'm almost done with the first movie, that seems so quick. _


	10. there is redemption, there is redemption

It was beautiful inside Lothlórien, as though a pure light dwelt inside of everything; even the elves. Erytheia was astounded by it, having never seen anything so beautiful in all her days. Until Celeborn led the lady Galadriel to where they stood. Erytheia had not thought it possible for any living thing to be so lovely, and she was not the only one in the fellowship to think so; in fact they all did, for in all of Middle Earth there was no one more fair.

"The enemy knows you have entered here," Celeborn told them. "What hope you had in secrecy is now gone."

Erytheia stood beside Haldir apart from the fellowship, and looked at the lord Celeborn as he spoke. He offered her a fleeting glance, though no hatred or mistrust was in his eyes.

"Eight that are here yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him."

"He has fallen into shadow," the lady said, her voice full of sorrow, after looking at Aragorn.

Her voice surprised Erytheia, it was lovely and deep and soft as silk; and Erytheia had heard it in her mind before they had entered Caras Galadhon. There was sorrow all around her, even in her own heart – Gandalf had been much beloved, and greatly needed.

Erytheia looked back to the lady of the wood as she spoke again, hanging on to her every word as though it was spoken directly into her ear.

"The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true."

All of the company were gazing adoringly at the lady elf, for she truly was magnificent. In there minds was only one thought; no one in the world was more lovely and gracious than she.

"Do not let your hearts be trouble," Galadriel soothed. "Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace."

They all bowed as the lord and lady bid them farewell, but Erytheia was made to halt. "May I have a moment?" the lady asked looking at her.

Erytheia felt as though her soul was being pierced with those blue eyes, she almost felt in danger. A quick look at Aragorn had her moving forward, for he gave her a curt nod and a hard look, and she followed after the lady of light feeling unbearably dark by her side.

The lady's voice was even more beautiful when she spoke in the elven tongue, and Erytheia – though wary – could not help but nearly swoon.

She was snapped out of her reverie the moment hands touched her, and she looked at the young she-elves as they gently removed her black dress.

"You are of a dying race," the lady said, drawing the concerned dragon back under her spell. "Tell me, what of your parents?"

Erytheia stood, now completely bare before the lady without a care in the world. "My father was like me," she told the lady.

"Your mother was a dragon," the lady said finishing Erytheia's thought.

So at peace was she that she did not feel the lady in her mind, nor the elves pulling on a new dress. "Yes, she was. My father stayed a dragon with her until he died."

"And you were left to care for yourself," the lady said searching deeper. "You truly are the last of your kind. You are more dragon than human, but you cannot bear children."

"No," Erytheia told her in agreement, not finding it the least bit strange that the lady knew all of this.

Galadriel smiled at her, having looked through all her memories and was now satisfied. "Gandalf spoke fondly of you. You were barely a woman when he found you. He spoke of your courage, and of your heart. I do believe he was right."

Erytheia stood still as the lady kissed her cheek, smiling as she pulled away. "Thank you for letting me come here."

Galadriel smiled beautifully at the dragon. "It was a true pleasure to meet you."

Erytheia watched as the lady left, and the further she walked the faster the spell withered. Until Erytheia stood with elves at her back, a new dress cloaking her, and fear in her heart. For she now felt what she had been too stupefied to feel – the lady had been in her mind. She hastily returned to the others, who were gathered beside a river.

Pippin greeted her warmly and she gave a small smile. Her new dress was remarked on, all but Boromir – who was lost in his thoughts sitting away from the others – and Legolas told her she looked pretty.

She looked beautiful, Legolas thought as his followed her as she sat beside the river. Her dress was the same blue as his shirt, her sleeves hung off her shoulders and billowed at her side. He sat beside her, forcing his eyes to the water rather than her face.

"You are not at peace here," he remarked, feeling her nerves as well as seeing her stiff back.

"Can you blame me?" Erytheia asked looking at him appalled, "after what happened with you?."

Her words stung and he turned away from her.

"I'm sorry," she said softly after only a moment, her voice small and fretting. "That was unkind."

He looked at her seeing she was sorry and he sighed realizing how fearful she must be – dragon's were not loved creatures, and she had only ever had mistreatment from elves. "I supposed you have earned a little unkindness," he said, offering forgiveness.

She looked over at him, feeling relieved he was letting her harsh words go so easily – she did not want him angry with her. Her thoughts returned to the lady Galadriel, of how strange her head felt after they had spoken.

"Are you alright?" Legolas asked when he saw her furrowed brows.

She turned to him prepared to say she was fine, but then she sighed and laid back in the grass.

He laid beside her and stared at her, waiting for her to look over at him. And once she did was when he next spoke. "You will not see another prison, I swear to you." He waited until the surprise faded from her eyes and a different emotion he could not name took its place, and then he turned his head to look at the sky.

She stared at his face wondering how after everything he held no doubts about her; and she wondered even more at what it was he made her feel. She did not like any of the answers and so she turned away from him. It was not long before sleep took hold of them both, and as the lady Galadriel had said; they slept in peace

…

Legolas woke to a pale light shining, and he smiled at the peace and comfort he felt. He saw Erytheia lying beside and turned to her, his eyes raking over ever detail. She truly was beautiful; with her dark hair and her warm skin, her lovely face so sweet as she slept.

He did not know what made him move, perhaps it was his wish to tell her what he had been wanting to since the moment she had returned to her human skin – that he had missed her, that he cared for her. Or perhaps it was the peace both in his heart or on her face. Either way he moved forward and kissed her, feeling her brows furrow in her sleep making him smile. He woke her to kisses along her neck and shoulders, and then he found himself staring down into her golden eyes.

There was a small smile on her lips as she touched his cheek, and he smiled before capturing her mouth once more. Her hands in his hair, his around her waist, and he rolled on top of her. There was fire in his veins, his blood boiling as their tongues met.

…

He woke with a gasp, breathing heavily with his cheeks aflame. He was startled by what he had dreamt, and he turned his head to Erytheia to see her eyes closed. He listened to her breathing and he sighed relieved at it being even. He stared at her face, her sweet sleeping face, and his cheeks flushed warmer. He reached a tentative hand to her face, tracing the planes of her cheek. He ran his thumb over her lips, remembering what he'd dreamt they'd felt like. Heart leapt at the thought and he quickly stood before retreating from her.

Her eyes opened the moment he was gone. She had awoken from her own dream almost an hour before he had – only in hers they had been wearing nothing. She rolled on her side and held a hand to her mouth, cursing herself – cursing him for making her feel this way and dream of such things. She was a dragon, hardly a human at all as the lady had said. When she died there would not be another whose second skin was a dragon – she was truly the last of her kind. And there she was dreaming of an elf prince. _Bloody hell_, she thought.

They were all woken an hour later and given food before they prepared to leave. Lambas bread had been given to them, enough to last them weeks if they ate sparingly, as well as boats and cloaks. Haldir fastened the green cloak on Erytheia's shoulders, holding her eyes for a moment before stepping away. And the lady Galadriel also bestowed upon each of them a gift.

To Erytheia Galadriel gave a necklace, hung from a gold chain was a lovely golden dragon – the dragon was wrapped around a light blue gem, one Erytheia had never seen before.

"Thank you," Erytheia said as sincerely as she could – for she knew it must have been made for her last night.

Galadriel smiled before kissing her cheek once more. "Until we meet again, my dragon," she said warmly with a hand under the younger woman's chin before moving to the next in the fellowship.

"It is beautiful," Legolas said looking at Erytheia's gift.

"As is your bow," she said reaching a hand out to touch it. She traced one of the gold carvings.

"I know," Legolas said before he held the bow out and appraised it again.

She nearly laughed at the look of reverence on his face as he looked at his gift, he noted her half smile and he returned it. It took her moment to realize something – the gem in her necklace was the color of his eyes.


	11. I feel the threat of thunder

Days they paddled on the river, long days that passed slowly. Aragorn's boat held himself, Frodo, and Sam while Boromir's held himself, Pippin, and Merry and Legolas' held himself, Gimli, and Erytheia. She sat between the elf and dwarf, who had become quite an odd pair; not quite friends but yet they would willingly fight to defend the other should it need be, and so they got along. It was a quiet going, not much was spoke between boats nor in boats, and after the safety of Lothlórien they felt very exposed on the river.

It was noticed by Legolas that Erytheia often gazed at the sky, in fact her eyes hardly left it. What he did not know was that her thoughts often strayed to him, and of how she could feel his legs against her back – his touch nearly burning her.

He stared at her back, tracing the dark wings painted on her skin with his eyes. What he wouldn't give to run his fingers along them, to feel her warm skin, to see if his touch effected her. It was thoughts like those that made him startle and look away, cursing his mind for straying to those things.

It after a few days that both elf and skin changer felt something in the trees next to them, they both turned to see no more than leaves and bark. She looked over her shoulder and saw in his eyes that he felt it to, she also saw the worry that mirrored her own. The cawing of a disturbed bird startled not only them but the rest of the fellowship; for it had been silent on the river, nothing but the sound of paddles. And the feeling only grew in the two when their way was halted by a waterfall.

"We'll cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot." Aragorn said once they'd all gotten out and were resting as they ate. "We'll cross Mordor from the north."

Gimli did not approve of the way Aragorn would take them into Mordor and did good to scare Pippin with his tales of terror he'd heard about the danger. Pippin scooted closer to where Erytheia stood as he kept eating; he comforted himself with a thought – so long as she was near no trouble could find them, for she was a dragon and could easily destroy anything – it was the naiveté of a hobbit, but it comforted him.

But she was not listening to Gimli, instead she was watching Legolas as he scoured the woods around them. She knew the earth, she could feel something trampling it as it came near. But he knew the trees, and in that moment he could feel more than she could. And so she watched him and waited for a look to cross his face that would tell her what he felt. She saw it before he turned and stepped closer to Aragorn.

"We should leave now," Legolas told him, his voice showing his worry.

"No," Aragorn said a moment after having already given leaving a thought. "Orcs patrol the eastern shore, we must wait for the cover of darkness."

Legolas cast another look at the trees in front of them. "It is not the eastern shore that worries me," he told Aragorn. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it."

Aragorn met Erytheia's eye and saw her agreement and he sighed, for there was no way for them to go where they would not come across a foe – if they left now the patrol would find them, and if they stayed there until night whatever threat the elf felt would find them.

"Where's Frodo?"

They all looked to Merry and then around them not finding the hobbit, Aragorn found an answer in Boromir's shield – with him nowhere in sight.

"Stay here and look after the others," Aragorn ordered when he made for the tree line, knowing Erytheia would have followed after him. He wanted her with the others, with Legolas where he knew they were needed the most.

She watched him go not wishing for him to, for if Legolas' words were true then something was coming closer and she had a strange feelings it was the fellowship they were after. Legolas moved and stood at her side, their shoulders touching lightly though it did not warm them. It was some time later she and Legolas heard the sounds of growls, and she realized then they had been hunted.

"Do not leave the bank," Erytheia told Pippin, Merry, and Sam before following Legolas with her sword in hand and Gimli at her back.

They reached the sound of snarling orcs and Aragorn's grunts as he fought them off, and they ran in the midst with their weapons ready.

"Aragorn go," Legolas yelled, shooting two orcs so he could escape.

At some point she and Legolas were back to back, she cutting down the orcs before her and he shooting down the orcs before him. There was a momentary pause when the horn of Gondor sounded loud and strong, and then they continued fighting. Erytheia, done with using her sword pushed Legolas aside and shifted skins before setting the orcs in front of her ablaze. Legolas and Gimli stood at her sides killing the few orcs that raised their weapons against her while she continued burning the orcs around them. And within only minutes they had killed all the ones near.

She shook herself free of her scales and stood looking at the elf and the dwarf who were smiling at her; fighting proved a much easier feat with a dragon at hand. "You have dirt on your forehead," she said softly as she looked at Legolas, it was the first time she had seen anything mar his beauty.

He reached a hand up to brush it off but missed. "Here," she said doing it for him. Many times she had done the very same thing to Aragorn, she had even dressed his wounds, and it had meant nothing. The moment her eyes met Legolas' her hand still, leaving still a smudge of dirt, and she was left staring at him surprised by the heat in his eyes.

He took her hand in his and held it to his chest, his gaze flicking to her lips and then back to her eyes – she noticed, and heat spread through her as they continued to stare at one another.

"Perhaps Aragorn is need of our aid," Gimli said impatiently, breaking them apart. "Or maybe Boromir."

Legolas released her hand and looked at her a last time, seeing her flushed cheeks, before following after Gimli with her at his back. She released a breath trying to calm herself before stepping forward and into the woods.

All of that was forgotten when they found Boromir laying with three arrows in his chest, and Aragorn kneeling beside him. She could feel his sadness, and his pain, and it saddened her to see her closest friend mourning. Aragorn stood and turned to them and a thought crossed her mind.

"Where are Merry and Pippin?" she asked gently, seeing the defeat grow in his eyes and she knew – they had been taken. It was then she realized what Gandalf had meant, her path was not Frodo for his was to be one he made alone, hers was instead with the three before her and the two hobbits that still needed them.

They gave Boromir a hero's burial over the waterfall, it was the only one they could give them. Aragorn knew too that they were not meant to go after Frodo and Sam, their path now was to save Merry and Pippin.

"I could go after them. I could get Merry and Pippin and kill all of the orcs that took them. Sauroman wouldn't know what I was," Erytheia said, feeling as though she had let down both Pippin and Merry by not protecting them, as Pippin had blindly trusted her to.

"Gandalf spoke to me of you before he fell," Aragorn told her. "Saruman must not know you, for the moment he does you will be in danger."

"I don't understand," Erytheia said, her brows knitted. Legolas, who stood at her back, did not either nor did he like that she may be in danger should she change skins. "Saruman is a wizard, it would not be impossible to kill him."

Aragorn shook his head, remembering Gandalf's words as he warned him to protect her. "It is not Saruman you should fear. Sauron would use you as a weapon, I will not let that happen. You will not change skin until I tell you, and until then we can go after them on foot," Aragorn told her gently, knowing she had grown fond of the two hobbits, and kissed her forehead before turning from her. "Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light." he told the three as he gathered his knife. He turned to them with determination in his eyes. "Lets hunt some orc."

* * *

_So that was the end of the first movie, next chapter will be the start of the second. As always thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you thought._


	12. but this rain can't last forever

_Guest: thank you very much, I'm glad you're liking it._

_Ithildinilis: well thank you for reviewing anyway, I really appreciate it. And thanks for saying it's a favorite, it means a lot. I hope you enjoy.  
_

* * *

They ran for days after the two hobbits with Aragorn tracking them. Erytheia was useless in her form other being able to smell that they were on the orcs trail – how she longed for her wings, how she longed for the sky. Erytheia kept pace with Aragorn, for they had tracked a few orc parties years before in their travels, and she stood silent and still as he pressed his ear to a rock.

"Their pace has quickened," he said softly. "They must have caught our sent." He got up from the rock and looked back for Legolas and Gimli, the dwarf being the most ill fit for days of running. "Hurry," Aragorn called and began running once more.

Erytheia ran after him, catching sight of Legolas' blonde head before she turned away; she could hardly look at him without remembering the heat in his eyes. She had wanted him to kiss her. Not the way she had kissed Aragorn before, not in the way of friendship. That was it, she supposed. She wanted more than his friendship, she wanted indecent things – things she had only done with Smaug when she was more a dragon than human. And there was the problem – he was an elf, the purest creatures she'd ever met, and she wasn't even human.

"Come on Gimli," she heard Legolas call, having run slower so as to keep the weary dwarf moving.

Even the mere sound of his voice made her heart leap, and she cursed herself for it. Aragorn looked over at her to see how she was fairing – she used to flying in times like these – and saw the melancholy look on her face. He now knew from where it spawned, what he did not know was why; for it was obvious to him, and to Gimli, that the elf was as taken with her as she was by him.

But it was as unknown to Legolas as it was to her as well. He stared at her as she ran in front of him. Watching her hair billow behind her, the sun glinting off its raven strands. Everything about her was alluring; the painted wings on her back, her eyes, her skin, her lips. He could hardly concentrate with her so near, feeling her body like bees buzzing beneath his skin. How he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her – that's all he wanted to do. Though in truth it wasn't, he wanted to trace every inch of her skin; he wanted everything she had to offer and it was entirely improper. But he was finding it harder and harder to care why.

Another day they ran, no food no rest. Erytheia could hear Gimli huffing and puffing and wheezing even from where she ran, the dwarf moving breathlessly on numb wobbly legs. She saw Aragorn on his knee and she stopped beside him.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall," he said picking up the leaf from one of the hobbit's cloaks.

Aragorn handed the leaf to Erytheia and she brought it to her nose. "Pippin," she told him before handing it back; it reeked of orc, but she had caught the hobbit's scent.

"They may yet be alive," Legolas said as Aragorn stood, not bearing to think they were dead.

"Less than a day ahead of us," Aragorn told them before he moved forward.

Legolas looked to Erytheia and was momentarily caught immobile under her gaze. She turned at Gimli's commotion to see he had fallen the rest of the way downhill, and she shook her head – at the dwarf, and to clear her mind of Legolas' eyes – before she ran after Aragorn.

They stopped for only a moment when they reached a new land. "Rohan," Aragorn told them, "home of the horselords. There's something strange at work here, some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us."

As Aragorn looked out over the land, which Erytheia could feel a dark force at work amongst the land, Legolas had spotted the uruk-hai they were tracking.

"Legolas," Aragorn called. "What do your elf eyes see."

"The uruks turned northeast. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard," Legolas called back.

"Saruman," Aragorn said as he realized who was aiding their foe.

Erytheia turned to Aragorn, a thought that Saruman somehow had a hold in the land raging through her mind. "Can I go after them now?" she asked, almost pleaded. Now would be the most opportune time for her to chase the orcs, if they came too close to Saruman then he would capture her.

"No," Aragorn told her, climbing down the rocks. "We cannot know if this was his plan all along. Should he know you travel with us, and Gandalf was most certain he did, then this may be a trap for you." He sighed at her furrowed brows, seeing she still did not understand how dangerous it was.

"They're only orcs," she said as she climbed down after him. "How could Saruman have me if I killed the uruks now?"

Aragorn did not know Saruman, did not know the extent of his power; but he would not risk it. "It is too dangerous," he told her making her roll her eyes. "We will keep after them on foot."

She shook her head before pushing past him. "How I managed to survive for centuries before you were here to protect me I'll never know," she grumbled harshly, running the rest of the way down the hill.

Aragorn could no more than sigh, realizing she may be right – and she may be wrong, then Saruman would give her to Sauron and he did not know what the demon would do with her – but he was relieved to see she trusted his word enough that she stayed human. And so with little else to do he ran after.

They ran through the night, keeping a steady pace though they were all tiring. It was the middle of the new day when they finally saw another living thing. They had just run down a hill and were standing at the top of another when Erytheia turned at the sound of many horse hooves. Aragorn silently urged them forward and they hid as the horses and their riders rode past.

Erytheia would have much rather let the riders pass but Aragorn was of a different mind. "Riders of Rohan!" he called stepping from behind the rocks to hail them, "what news from the mark!"

Legolas had to nudge her to get her to move; in all honesty she would have just staid hidden, it was easier to explain her presence when she was not known. But she gave him a hard, wary, look and followed him to stand beside Aragorn. She stood behind her closest friend and beside Legolas – who was quickly becoming something more than a friend – and waited as the many riders turned and began surrounding them.

She would have no problem changing skins if she could get herself over the three, and then she could burn them all if it came to it; this is what went through her mind as she stared at the spears the riders pointed at them – she was a cornered animal prepared to attack, all she needed was a push.

"What business," their leader demanded moving his horse to face them, "does an elf a man a dwarf and a woman have in the Riddimark?"

All four turned to the man atop his horse, only Aragorn offered no threat. Even Legolas was on edge, after having spears pointed in his face he was displeased.

"Speak quickly," the man said gruffly as he waited for an answer.

"Give me your name horsemaster, and I shall give you mine," Gimli said nearly making Erytheia smile; he was very much like his father.

The man was not so pleased with the dwarf's words, or his audacity. She could feel Legolas grow tense as the rider dismounted and walked toward Gimli. "I would cut off your head dwarf," he growled, "if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

If Erytheia had been a dragon she would have growled in delight when Legolas notched an arrow and aimed it at the man saying; "you would die before your first stroke fell."

Spears were once more aimed at them, though they were pointed at the elf. She growled then, a low guttural one to her right and she saw the hesitation and startlement in the men's eyes. Aragorn lowered Legolas' bow, giving Erytheia a stony look, before turning to the horsemaster.

"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn," he introduced, offering peace. "This Gimli son of Gloin and Legolas of the Woodland Relm."

The man looked to the elf to still see hostility in his eyes, but he turned to the woman behind him; the one with the strange eyes. "And the woman?" he asked the man, Aragorn.

Aragorn had hoped not to explain her. "This is Erytheia, my oldest friend."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Does she have no kin?" he asked roughly, not taking his eyes from her darkly beautiful face. He had just noticed her eyes were yellow, and it made him wary of her. For she may have been beautiful, very much so, but he could see the danger in her.

Aragorn looked at her briefly, as did Legolas who had shifted slightly so he was more in front of her. "Her parents abandoned her in the wild, she has no other kin but I," Aragorn answered at last, not thinking he had any other explanations for her and where she was from; and he did not think they would take too kindly of her being a skin changer. "We are friends of Rohan, and of Théoden your king," Aragorn told him.

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe," the man told them. "Not even his own kin," he said removing his helmet offering his own peace, and his men lowered their spears. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands," he told them. "My company was loyal to Rohan, and for that we were banished. The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say; as an old man hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets." He said the last part as he gave the elf a hard look, and the hair on the back of Erytheia's neck stood on end as she fought another growl.

"We are no spies," Aragorn declared. "We track a party of uruk- hai traveling westward across plains. They've taken two of our friends captive."

"The uruks are destroyed, we slaughtered them in the night."

"There were two hobbits," Gimli said, starting to despair. "Did you see two hobbits with them?"

"They would be small, only children to your eyes," Aragorn told the man.

He looked to the woman, expecting her to still be glowering at his with her golden eyes. Instead she was look at him with wide eyes full of hope and fear; she did not look so dangerous then, she looked a woman, one as he would protect and care for. He looked back at Aragorn, sighing before he spoke. "We left none alive."


	13. the light chases the dark

Erytheia rode with Aragorn on the horse they'd been given, and Gimli rode with Legolas on another. No joy or mirth was in any of them, they were riding toward their friends deaths and they were all too aware. Bodies were stacked and burning, grotesque heads were speared; Erytheia was not used to smelling this with her human nose, but she knew the sent of burning flesh all the same. If Merry and Pippin had been alive the night previous they were no longer; a thought that saddened her for she could have saved them – but she had let them down.

"It's one of their wee belts," Gimli said holding up a scorched piece of leather. Erytheia's heart was heavy as she listened to Legolas say a prayer in the elven tongue, it was beautiful and sad in his deep melodic voice. She almost flinched when Aragorn, in a fit of despair, kicked a helmet and gave a short agonized yell. He knew she could have saved them, he was seeing that she should have the moment the two hobbits were taken; but he hadn't wanted to risk losing her, and so he had selfishly refused her to change skin.

She knew those were his thoughts and so she moved to stand at his side where he had fallen to his knees, placing her hand on his shoulder which he covered with one of his own. She took a deep, sorrowful, breath and a smell that was neither burning orc nor the scent of an orc filled her nose. The scent was too faint for her to recognize, but it was the smell of something that was no orc.

Aragorn heard the quiet sound of her sniffing and he looked up at her to see her brows were furrowed; and then he looked to the ground, for this is how the two normally tracked together – he knew the land, she knew the air.

"A hobbit lay here," he said calling the attention of the others on him, he could see the grass still indented from their small bodies.

Erytheia had been too wary to hope but she realized that they were very near where Merry and Pippin had been the night before. She turned her head when she felt Legolas against her back and they shared a brief look before she turned away; this was not the place for whatever it was she felt when he was near. But that meant nothing when she felt his fingertips graze her hand. Her heart lept and her breathing deeply slightly as he wound his hand in hers, his chest against her back, his cheek against her own as he pressed against her. Her heart hammered in her chest, loud enough she thought he could hear, but she could faintly hear his own; which beat as furiously as hers did. She stood, her chest slightly heaving, feeling his chest push further against her back at his own quick breaths; she wanted his hands on her, his mouth. She wanted things she never had before. But this was not the place.

In the end it was she who pulled away from him, disentangling their fingers and stepped forward leaving him cold without her warmth. Instead she looked to Aragorn who was still tracing the path the two hobbits had taken; where they had crawled, cut their bonds, the footsteps of where they'd run, the signs of a pursuit, and their steps leading into Fangorn forest.

Erytheia, being an animal, could feel the spirit of the trees as she timidly stepped into the wood; they were not happy, and even less so to see her again. She had to hold her skirt as she climbed over roots and jumped over streams, and all the while she felt eyes on her – watching her with a heated glare as though she were doing something wrong. They were running as Merry and Pippin had, and all around her she could smell them; and it was them she could smell. Her poor Pippin with his sweet face and his mischievous nature, and Merry his kind and brave friend. She didn't like thinking of how they had run through the trees with an orc chasing them, how afraid they had been.

"These trees are old, very old," Legolas said as he looked around him, and she turned to him to see his eyes were almost searching for something; and even then, surrounded by angry trees as they searched for their friends, she was struck by how handsome he was. "Full of memory, and anger." Legolas, as a woodland elf, was more connected to the trees than she, and so when they began groaning he understood they were speaking.

"Gimli," Aragorn said hushedly when he saw the dwarf. "Lower your ax."

Gimli complied, holding his hands up in surrender. Legolas could feel their eyes glaring at their small group, and the gaze only grew heavier when he stepped closer to Erytheia, feeling more assured when he had her close to his side. It was then he realized something. "They recognize you," he said staring hard at her, seeing she could tell the trees were watching her the closest.

Aragorn looked first to Legolas and then to Erytheia, wondering how the elf could know her so well. "Have you been here before?" he asked her as she moved to stand at his side; he had never seen her so wary as she was staring at the trees.

She nodded. "I have flown over many times and took refugee here as a child," she admitted, having been as afraid of the woods then as she was now. "The trees do not move with the wind," she told Aragorn, having seen in the dark trees moving along the ground. Not all of the trees moved, and in those she had hid, watching silently and afraid as a young girl as they passed.

They all grew wary at that, staring mistrustfully at any tree in front of them as though it would move. Onward they moved through the wood, Aragorn tracing where the hobbits had run. "Aragorn," Legolas called bringing them all to a halt.

Erytheia listened to him speak something in elvish until she realized she felt something. It was strange, and powerful; though not necessarily evil. And she recognized it, but she did not know from where. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood on end as the feeling grew, it buzzing beneath her skin.

"The white wizard approaches," Legolas said softly, warning them.

"Do not let him speak," Aragorn told them quietly. "He will put a spell on us."

Erytheia had met Saruman, before it was known he had been seduced to Sauron's cause; she did not recognize this as Saruman, it was someone else; someone she knew well but could not put a face to.

So hard was she concentrating that when Aragorn and Legolas stood at her side and faced the white wizard, she did not even reach for her sword; she was too late.

The wizard was shrouded in a blinding light and they were unable to see him. Gimli threw his ax but the white wizard shattered it, Legolas shot an arrow but the wizard thwarted it, and Aragorn's sword glowed red as it began burning forcing him to drop it.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," the wizard said using a voice that sounded like Saruman's, only there was a voice beneath it, one she knew. "They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

As curious as Erytheia was Aragorn was growing enraged. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Show yourself!"

They squinted against the glare of the wizard's light, but it dimmed and they could see him; a man they had never thought to see again."It cannot be," Aragorn whispered in utter shock as he stared at the face of Gandalf.


	14. there, is a good heart

Their shock at seeing Gandalf alive was short lived, though he had not remembered who he was at first for he was now Gandalf the White, he did know of the troubles that had befallen Rohan – which he assured them was the more pressing matter for Merry and Pippin were safe for the moment.

They rode for days toward Edoras, resting only at night. Many a time Erytheia or Legolas were woken out of surprise for how they had slept, and once they had woken together. She had once awakened strewn over his chest, his arms tight around her waist – she had disentangled herself from him and rolled away from him. Another day he woke to his cheek resting on hers, his arm over her waist as he kept her back pressed to his chest, and their fingers entwined against her chest. He had done as she had, unwound their fingers and rolled away. And one day Erytheia had woken to Legolas' face less than an inch from hers. She had startled, for their foreheads were pressed together and their noses touched – so close were they – and found that his arms were locked firmly around her back, keeping her pressed against him. Legolas slowly woke, his dreams – which were of her and committing very indecent acts – interrupted, and he too was startled by how close her yellow eyes were to his. Though the thing he noticed most was not his arms keeping her to his chest and their mouths nearly touching, it was that he kept her hips pressed against his.

He released her immediately and they both rolled onto their backs, staring at the sky as they tried to slow their breathing. He turned to look at her and upon meeting her eyes he found he could not hold them; it was not just that he had woken, his dreams had been more than arousing and he knew she'd felt him pressed against her hip – but he was not ashamed, surprisingly, he was only embarrassed.

As was she. She almost hadn't believed it, and she had a harder time believing that she had been a cause of it – how could she, he was an elf and she half beast. It was inconceivable. And yet his cheeks, which were flushed red, and the lazy lust that was in his eyes when they'd first opened, and the small smile that twitched on his lips for a second when he saw it was her before he realized he was awake; all of that meant that it was her. But she didn't believe it, she couldn't.

They could hardly look at one another that day, and even then at nightfall they still slept at each other's side – as though a string were attached to them, one that would not let them stray too far. It was that night, as they lay shoulder to shoulder, that she allowed herself the thought that Legolas may feel as she did. They lay quietly staring up at the stars, hardly making a sound save their soft breathing. It was easier for him to believe that he effected her, he did not think of her as an animal – not as she did – and so he placed his hand over hers, feeling her sharp intake of breath more than he heard it and knew it then to be true; she felt the same as him.

The proof was in her eyes when she turned to him, her lovely face paled in the moonlight. His entire body was set aflame from where they touched, he burned as hot as she did, his chest grew tight as his eyes trailed to her lips; when he looked back to her eyes he saw her gaze had returned from his mouth as well, and that was all he needed. He moved toward her and she turned on her side, his hand coming to cup her face as he brought his mouth to hers.

They rolled onto their backs at the sound of a throat clearing, Erytheia pressing her lips together knowing it had been Aragorn – and she was right, he was sitting against a tree taking watch and shaking his head at the two – they would reach Edoras the next day, it was not the time though he was glad the two were finally showing they cared for one another. Erytheia felt Legolas' hand tighten around hers and she looked over at him and bit back a smile, seeing a small one on his own mouth as well; they both turned away and stared at the night sky thinking of what they had almost done, their hearts fluttering with hope as they fell into slumber.

…

They rode through the gate and into the city up a hill until they came to the door of where Théoden resided. The people in the city were shrouded in gloom in face of the evil that had befallen their king.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden the king so armed, Gandalf Greyhame," a guard said when the group reached the step of the king's house. "Order of Grima Wormtongue," he explained, though he did not seem entirely happily to.

Gandalf looked to his company and nodded, giving Erytheia a lingering look for he remembered her fiery spirit. And so she, along with Aragorn Gimli and Legolas, reluctantly gave their weapons to the guards, their eyes hard and showing they were greatly displeased.

"Your walking stick," the guard said when they had given everything.

Erytheia looked to Gandalf, as did the others, and waited for what he would do. "You would not part an old man from his walking stick?" he asked leaning heavily against it, looking pitiful.

The guard nearly rolled his eyes before agreeing and letting them in. Grima was a vile man, his skin sickly pale and his hair long and dirty. Erytheia felt the evil Wormtongue had spit in the king's ear and Aragorn saw her pupils elongate and her eyes glow brighter when she set eyes on him, and he almost smiled; this was a man Aragorn would not be opposed should she decide to burn, and they had come across many a man or creature during their years together.

"Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?" the king asked, his voice old and ragged and sounding very much as he looked.

"A just question my liege."

Ertheia heard the whispers the rat of a man gave the ill king and felt a growl in the back of her throat. As Wormtongue spoke descending toward them as they moved forward, the guards moved along the side walls as they watched the group closely; she could feel their tense muscles as they prepared to attack, and she welcomed it for there was much evil around her, and it was darkening her heart.

Wormtongue made a move towards Gandalf and spoke a threat which Gandalf thrust aside revealing his staff to the foolish man. The men surrounding the room moved forward to stop the wizard but Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas fought them back, but not for long. Once the men made to move a great dragon lept from the raven haired woman causing them to freeze in fear.

Gimli placed his foot on Wormtongue's chest. "I would stay still if I were you, "Gimli said in warning, to which Grima saw the great head of the black dragon crouching low near the dwarf baring her teeth. Her eyes were a blazing gold holding too much understanding.

She had thrown aside a few people when she'd changed skin, for her body was large, but she stayed low and glowered at the man as Gandalf tried to release Théoden, and she snapped her teeth at the worm when he tried to move. She kept him rooted in fear, the only thing keeping her from killing him then was Legolas' hand on her.

The remaining members of the fellowship waited as Gandalf tried to release Théoden, but Saruman's hold on the king was stronger than they'd thought. Gandalf shocked Saruman, nearly blinding them all with his light, by revealing the power he'd attained and began casting the evil out. A fair woman ran out and tried to get to the king but Aragorn held her back, so distraught with fear and worry was she that she took no notice of the large dragon near her.

Gandalf thew Saruman out of the king's mind and the presence of evil left the king, his gray beard shrunk and browned and his skin smoothed and he became younger before their eyes. Not many noticed when Erytheia became human again, but they looked about them startled when they saw the dragon had disappeared. Legolas kept a hand on her arm and she looked up at him, his hips once again pressed fully against hers, their eyes hot and burning – though this was truly not the time for such things. And so they turned away.

* * *

_So I've been realizing that if I follow the story as the movie does it and just do the events, that won't leave much time for development between Legolas and Erytheia. And I personally like writing their scenes, which honestly don't have anything to do with the movie, but that would also make the story longer a bit; and reviews have been dwindling a bit the last few chapters. And I'm not entirely sure how people are enjoying it. So please let me know._


	15. there, is a good soul

_**I think I might've inhaled you**_  
_** I can feel you behind my eyes**_  
_** You've gotten into my bloodstream**_  
_** I can feel you flowing in me**_

_**Bloodstream by Stateless**_

* * *

The first and last burial Erytheia had ever seen was for Aragorn's mother, that had been the only time she had ever seen him cry as well. All the people of Edoras dressed in black and mourned with their king, for their prince. When all the others had left Théoden remained staring solemnly at his son's tomb, as did Gandalf.

"Rooms have been made for you," Eowyn said as she walked down the hall, taking up the duty of hospitality as her uncle mourned.

Aragorn followed after her first. "That is most kind," he told her, and she looked at him over her shoulder briefly before turning away smiling.

Erytheia pressed her lips together when Aragorn gave her a hard look, knowing she was trying not to laugh; Eowyn was very pretty, something Aragorn had noted, something Erytheia knew.

"Separate rooms have been given for Gandalf and yourself," Eowyn told them. "The three of you have been given cots and a room."

"I will be taking one of the cots," Aragorn told her causing her to halt and look at him surprised.

"I can sleep on a cot," Erytheia told him knowing he meant she would take the room, and Eowyn looked to her in surprise.

Aragorn looked at her with a cocked brow. "When was the last you slept in a bed?" he asked her with a small smile.

"Not so much longer than yourself," she told him, her eyes narrowing.

Aragorn looked to her then up and Legolas and then back to Erytheia. "You will sleep in your own room," he told her, smirking at the irritation in her eyes and the embarrassment in Legolas'. He gave a small laugh as he followed Erytheia toward the main hall.

"Years we have slept side by side," Erytheia said as she walked, "including in a bed. What has changed?"

Aragorn looked down at her wondering if she even knew how taken she was with Legolas. "You did not have an elf then," he said softly and smiled when she turned to him. He nudged her and laughed when she opened her mouth to say something but couldn't find the words. She felt her cheeks warm and she shut her mouth and grit her teeth, looking at Aragorn with appalled eyes. She shoved him and he laughed harder, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he led her to the dining hall.

"Have they been together many years?" Eowyn asked, the elf the dwarf and her having stood and watched the two as they walked away.

"Don't worry, lassie," Gimli told her with a sly smile. "She's his," he said jerking a thumb toward Legolas, whose eyes widened and face flushed. Gimli laughed loudly at the elf's face before turning back to the woman. "Now, lass," he said looking up at her. "Where is the food?"

…

They were set in the King's hall as they waited for him and Gandalf to return. Legolas leaned against a pillar beside Aragorn, watching Erytheia who sat at his side, full from his bite of Lambas bread. When the king and the wizard finally did join them a young boy and his even younger sister were brought in as well and given stew.

"They had no warning," Eowyn said after speaking with the girl. "They were unarmed. Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go."

"This is but a taste of what Saruman will unleash," Gandalf told the king, who had not been given the chance to finish grieving his fallen son before being called to duty. "All the more potent by fear driven out from Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from the women and children. You must fight," he urged.

"You have two thousand good men riding North as we speak. Éomer is still loyal to you." Aragorn said catching Erytheia's attention – he did so love to bring justice to those who have done wrong, it was one of things she greatly admired about him. "His men will return and fight for their king."

"They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Eomer is of no help," Theoden argued, rising from his chair and pacing. "I know what it is you want from me," the king said looking to Gandalf. "But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."

"Open war is upon you, would you risk it or not," Aragorn told him, trying to make him see.

"When last I looked Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan," Théoden said walking to Aragorn, looking at him with hard eyes. Théoden briefly looked at the woman sitting next to him, seeing her yellow eyes were burning. "Nor do I have a dragon to fight at my side." He had said the last bit both to the woman who had no place in his realm, and Aragorn to show he did not wish for her to be there at all.

"Then what is the king's decision?" Gandalf asked, tearing Théoden's attention from Erytheia and the possibility of her removal and on to more pressing matters.

With his eyes no longer on her Erytheia took the chance to leave the dining hall, making for the room Aragorn insisted she take. She did not understand humans, especially the men; everything had to do with honor, and right and wrong. If it were up to her she would find the wildmen and kill them, and if Saruman had anymore men she'd kill them too – it was rather easy when one had a dragon's skin. But she was yet again seen as a threat, and she found that it hurt.

"Perhaps with time he will come to see you as a friend."

She turned to see Legolas in the doorway, having followed her. She shook her head. "Or perhaps he is right not to," she muttered.

He sighed at realizing she once again refused to see the good in her. "Erytheia, you,"

"I am a dragon, Legolas," she said raising her voice interrupting him. "I would have gladly killed Grima Wormtongue."

"Then why didn't you?" he demanded the moment she finished speaking. He was right about her, she just couldn't see it.

"Because you," she said but she broke off. She had been about to say because he had held her back, but she understood then that he hadn't; he had his hand on her arm but he wasn't restraining her. He did to her what he'd always done. "You make me human."

He looked at her surprised, it was why she hadn't killed him years ago; he had been wondering if she still remembered that day in the woods, only to realize that she did. He was met with the strong urge to hold her, to run his hands along her back and soothe her sadness away. He wanted to kiss her. Those thoughts brought him up short. For looking at her eyes, which looked as though they felt like crying – it was not the time. "How?" he asked.

She looked at him as she thought, trying to think of how to put her thoughts into words. He moved so they stood only an inch apart, his eyes warm yet scorching all at the same time causing her heart to swell. "You look at me like that and I feel like I can be good," she told him, letting herself be more vulnerable than she'd ever been. She wanted to believe he felt even half of what she did.

Looking in her eyes he saw that she didn't, and so he'd have to make her. He reached a hand up and stroked her cheek, tracing the planes of her face with his thumb. "Why can you not see yourself as I do when I look at you?" he asked, bending his head toward her raised chin.

She could feel her heart beating in her bloodstream, she could hear his racing as hers did. Every inch of her burned for him as he lowered his head, his fingers wrapping around the back of her neck and pulling her mouth to his. He kept his hand at the back of her neck and wrapped the other around her back pulling her closer. He felt a breath escape her as his lips moved over hers, his hands gently pulling her hair. He sighed at the feel of her hands running from his chest to his hips, feeling the heat from them through the fabric of his shirt. Her lips were full and she tasted of fire, a wondrous smoky taste he never wished to part from. Over and over he pressed kisses to her mouth, some quick and some lingering; she had just felt his tongue on her bottom lip when they were broken apart by Aragorn once again.

"It is getting late," he told them, watching as the two stared hard in the other's eyes before Legolas let her go, reluctantly leaving her warmth. Aragorn moved aside as Legolas passed him, the elf barely able to look at the man, before he turned back to Erytheia. "This is why you get your own room," he said as she sat on the bed.

She looked up at him sharply making him smile. "Rest, we leave for Helm's Deep on the morn." He kissed her cheek before he too retreating, leaving her sitting in a room alone. Sleep found her shortly afterwards where her dreams were haunted by golden hair and blue eyes and lips that melted her soul – leaving her more human than she ever thought she could be.

* * *

_Thanks so much for all the reviews, they really meant a lot to me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter._


	16. for everyone lost in the silence,

The going was slow, with the women and children and the sick and the old. Gandalf had left them in search for an aide to Rohan, who he feared greatly for. The remaining fellowship remained with the king and his men, walking slowly as they made for Helm's Deep. Word had spread like fire about the dragon woman and often the people stared curiously at Erytheia, many of them almost cowering when she was near. One mother had pulled her child away when he got too close, Aragorn had to grab Erytheia's arm and thrust her toward where Legolas was far up front to keep her from turning into a dragon to scare the woman.

And so Erytheia walked at Legolas' side, scouting the land before them with his sharp eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said before he could ask if she were alright. He knew the answer was no; he knew behind the anger and the frustration she was hurt, and it wasn't just that he could feel it in her – it was because he knew her, knew that vulnerable side of her that made her human. So he said nothing, he continued walking with eyes staring at every rolling hill ahead. But he reached for her, his fingers brushing against hers.

She felt his touch like a burst of flame, a swelling heat that boiled in her veins. She hated the quickening of her heart, the deepening of her breath at seeing his heated eyes – she hated the way he effected her. But she loved it too – she craved it. She craved him, as he did her. He could feel her touch buzzing under his skin, she was in his bloodstream; and he didn't know how he lived before he knew her.

…

They made camp that night: tents were constructed, food was prepared, people were cared for. Erytheia stood back and watched, seeing the wary glances they threw at her when she was too near. If it were not for Aragorn and Legolas, and even Gimli for she did like him very much as well, she would leave. She did not care for any of them; perhaps save Eowyn, who was never without a kind for her even if her timid fear shone in her eyes.

Erytheia sighed dishearted before walking to the tent Gimli and Legolas had been given. "You will be staying with me," Aragorn said catching her arm and stopping her.

She looked at him with her brows furrowed indignantly. "He is an elf, Aragorn," she told him sternly, though it did nothing to loose his hold on her.

"I'm not sure if that matters with you," he told her. "I don't think he's ever felt this way about another person."

Erytheia rolled her eyes and turned away. By doing so she was faced with the people of Rohan who were all staring at her, who quickly looked away when her eyes met their's.

Aragorn saw all fight go out of her, all resolve. He wished there were an easy way to assure them she was a friend, but there wasn't; they would need to see, as a dragon, that she would protect them should it be needed – it was the only way they would ever look upon her kindly. And he hated it, for it hurt her.

She barely looked up Aragorn before wrenching her arm away. "I am not a person," she said quietly before she walked away, entering the tent and curling up under a blanket.

It was not her closest friend's side retreated to, it was not Aragorn who gave her comfort; it was Legolas. Aragorn helped her to be human, but Legolas made her human. And it was in his arms she lay, her head under his chin and his around her waist. It was only a few moments of having him near and she relaxed, she could breathe easier.

"There will be no kissing in this tent," Gimli said from beside them, his back to them and warning in his voice.

Erytheia could feel Legolas smiling, and he could feel her shoulders shaking lightly as she laughed silently.

"I did not hear your agreement," Gimli said after a moment of nothing but silence.

"Yes Gimli," Legolas said, laughter in his voice making the dwarf grunt in amused irritation.

"Erytheia," his deep voice grumbled in the dark.

She chuckled lightly, feeling more at ease than she had in days. "Of course not, Gimli," she assured him and he growled a sigh.

Legolas smiled as he pulled her closer, looking down at her. His smiled melted away when he met her eyes in the dark, there being enough light and her face being close enough that he could see every detail of her beautiful face. He wanted to kiss her and he could see in her eyes she wanted it too; he wanted so much more though, things he shouldn't. Like his tongue on hers, the feel of her beneath him, his hands running over her bare skin. When he finally cleared his mind of those thoughts he was left breathing deeply staring at her wide eyes – for she had seen the desire in his eyes – and his pants constricting him uncomfortably. In the end he pressed his lips against her forehead, laying on his back, and holding her against his side with her head on his chest.

…

Days they traveled, stopping for lunch and many other rests for those who were not fit to travel on foot. Legolas and Erytheia scouted the front, knowing they were moving too slow and would quickly catch the eye of a foe if they did not pick up the pace.

It was on their last day, when they would reach Helm's Deep at nightfall, that they did catch the eye of something. And Legolas felt it the moment it caught their scent, it was a dark feeling; and Erytheia, being what she was, felt a sliver of the foreboding as well. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, if she were a dog her hackles would've been raised and she would crouch low to the ground. As it was she stood beside Legolas and watched as two of the king's guard rode ahead, and then a few minutes later they heard the sound of an orc and its warg.

Erytheia stood where Legolas had left her, running and shooting the warg before taking his knife and killing the orc. Aragorn ran to where she was.

"A scout," Legolas called to him.

"Come," Aragorn urged and she ran after him back toward their large party.

"What is it, what do you see?" Theoden demanded.

Aragorn ran for his horse. "Orcs, we're under attack."

A few women screamed in fear and panic spread through them. "Go with them and make sure there is no danger, gather up the young and weak and carry them on to Helm's Deep," Aragorn told her as he mounted his horse. There was such urgency in his voice that she did not object, for if trouble were to find the large group as they walked they would have no means of protecting themselves.

With all the fear and the panic and the terror their pace was quickened, if just for a time. After many lengths, when they could no longer hear the sounds of the battle, their pace slowed. They had no horses, no means of carrying of the sick and young who could not keep up – and many of them struggled to walk at all.

"We will attract attention going this slow," Erytheia told Eowyn, who had taken up the duty of Lady of Rohan and was leading her people to safety.

"I know," Eowyn said, and she did. "Perhaps you could carry those who are slowing us?"

Erytheia looked at the woman, having seen her affections for Aragorn and his timid ones for her – she was a fair lady, a strong woman who could care for herself. She liked Eowyn, and so she nodded before moving to the side of the group.

"Those who cannot walk, or those who cannot keep up step to the side please," she called firmly. She nodded to Erytheia and she reluctantly changed her skin, feeling the wave of fear from the people. "There is no time for fear, we will be found if we do not move faster. You should offer your thanks and gratitude that she is so willing, no love have you given her."

Erytheia lowered her belly to the ground, laying her head down and trying to look as non-scary as she could – that was hard when her scales were as black as night and her head was the size of their tallest man. But Eowyn's words, and her hand on Erytheia's large arm to show she meant no harm, as well as the threat of being found, and the sick and young climbed onto the dragon's back. Children sat on her wings, which she kept out and straight and made her tired, and the old and sick sat on her back. And their pace quickened; so much so that they reached Helm's Deep a little after noon.

She laid herself back on the ground and let everyone slide off her back, receiving their thanks and their little touches of amazement. Eowyn smiled as the dragon lowered her head almost bashfully as the children climbed on her and played and laughed, and the parents and other peoples looked at her in awe. She was not so threatening now, not so terrifying; and so when Erytheia was a woman again they gave her a fresh round of thank yous, and many telling her of her beauty. So much so the poor woman wished they were afraid of her again.

Eowyn smiled at Erytheia. "I do believe they have taken to you," she said softly.

"They would not have if not for you," Erytheia told her. A moment later she felt something, a soft tingling beneath her skin and she shook herself as it grew.

"Are you alright?" Eowyn asked, seeing her brows were furrowed and her fingers fiddling absentmindedly with a necklace, one she kept hidden beneath her dress.

Erytheia shook her head. "I feel strange," she admitted. She felt sad, and worried, and she did not know why. Aragorn. She did not understand why she was thinking of him, of where the panicked thought of him had come from.

Eowyn watched as tears filled the woman's eyes, as she shook her head before walking away. Eowyn sighed before turning back to her people and began ordering them to prepare food and to get as many bandages and soothing herbs as they had for when the men returned.

Erytheia stood outside of Helm's Deep watching the horizon, feeling the deepest of sorrows she could not understand. Over an hour she stood, waiting for the sound of horses until finally she heard it. Legolas jumped off his and Gimli's horse before they entered the fortress and he moved toward her, seeing the tears on her cheeks she hadn't noticed. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tight around her back and burying his face in her hair. "How did you know?" he asked softly.

She held him around his waist, more confused than she had ever been. "I felt it," she told him. But what she did not say was that it was his sorrow she had felt, not her own.

They laid together that night, her slung over his chest and his arm around her back; taking comfort where comfort could be found. Sleep did not come to them that night because sleep would not will it, they laid silent and restless holding each other until dawn broke. It was not until late in the day that Legolas jumped up, and with him so close at hand Erytheia felt nothing from him, but she saw the hope and excitement in his eyes. He hurriedly rushed out of the Hornburg and waited, his eyes fixed on the figure that slowly came closer on the horizon.

Erytheia followed after, slower, and less willing to hope. She had lost Smaug, her mate, and Thorin Oakenshield, a friend; but none of them had hurt her as the thought of losing Aragorn had. She did not feel the relief of Aragorn being alive until she saw him, and then it hit her hard enough to take the air from her lungs.

Aragorn took the Evenstar from Legolas' hand, smiling tiredly at him. Legolas stepped back and looked to Erytheia, and Aragorn turned noticing her. They had not left on the happiest of terms, and so he waited for her to move first. Tears were not a common thing for her, in fact he had never seen her cry; and so he faced her fully when he saw them in her eyes and opened his arms for her and held her tight when she wrapped her around his shoulders.

She had his shirt in her fists as she held him, not realizing how strongly she had come to care for him. "I love you my brother," she said softly, tears in her eyes and straining in her voice.

He turned his head and pressed his lips against her cheek, willing the tears he felt knotted in his throat away. "I love you too my sister."


	17. for everyone missing peace,

They made ready for battle. Aragorn had seen ten thousand orcs marching for Helm's Deep and warned the king of Rohan they would arrive at nightfall. With no help to come they made ready any man who could hold a sword, including the boys and aged men, and sent the women and children to the caves.

Erytheia hadn't been present for the harsh words Legolas and Aragorn had shared, but she walked in on them as they shared an embrace.

"By the time I get this adjusted," Gimli muttered as he let his chain mail fall to the floor, which had been made for a man not a dwarf who was over two feet shorter.

"Mine doesn't fit either," Erytheia said making them all turn to see her. They could see her flesh through the rings, and her legs from where it ended. "Look at this," she said to Aragorn turning around. "How are my wings supposed to get through this, they'd break it and then the whole thing would fall off. Not to mention I can barely walk in it."

Aragorn smiled at her, her being unclothed not bothering him for he had seen her body before. "Then take it off," he told her simply.

"I can't," she said with her brows raised. "I can't get it over my head, this wasn't made for someone with breasts."

Aragorn and Gimli both chuckled at her irritated face. "It's not everyday you see an elf blush," laughed Gimli at Legolas's expense. Both she and Aragorn turned to see the back of their friend's head turned away in embarrassment.

Aragorn smiled before shaking his head. "Legolas, help her out of that and I'll see if I can't help Gimli."

Legolas looked at him with wide, helpless eyes before the two left chuckling.

"Are you going to help me?" Erytheia asked after a few moments of him standing awkwardly without moving. He nodded before walking around behind her. "You never said anything about me being naked before when I was a dragon," she said not understanding his behavior.

He looked at her bewildered. "You were a dragon," he said. "You had scales."

She looked at him with her mouth opened to say something but then shook her head. "Can you just pull the mail over my head?" she asked irritably.

Nakedness was nothing to her, she had spent too much time in the wild to understand why clothes were a necessity. Though Aragorn had tried to explain it. But when Legolas pulled the mail over her head leaving her completely bare before him, she understood the need for clothes; she had never felt more vulnerable as she did then with his red cheeks and his eyes trying and failing not to stare at her.

"Here," he said softly, barely more than a breath, as he held her dress out of for her. He had dreamed of her unclothed, but that had not done her justice. Every inch of her was perfection and it sent a fire through his blood. He watched, his eyes unable to leave her form, as she stepped into her dress and then as she pulled it up her hips. He did not miss the flash of a breast, which was more round than he'd imagined, as she pulled her dress over her shoulders.

He'd never wanted to kiss her more than he did then as she turned to him, and he could see from her flushed cheeks that she wanted it too. They moved together, his arms around her waist pulling her closer and her arms around his shoulders pulling his mouth to hers. There was fire and passion in this kiss, burning in their veins as their tongues met. They poured all their worry, all their fear, into each other. Legolas pulled his tongue out of her mouth when they heard a throat clearing, something that did not go unnoticed, and they both turned to face Gimli and Aragorn.

"Five minutes," Gimli said looking up at Aragorn. "We weren't even gone for five minutes."

Aragorn could do no more than shake his head, knowing their feelings were new for both of them. They all looked up startled at the sound of a loud horn.

"That is no orc horn," Legolas said before he ran to see who it was, followed by Aragorn, Erytheia and Gimli. When they got outside they saw hundreds of elves marching to Rohan's aide led by Haldir with a message from Elrond. Aragorn ran to Haldir and threw his arms around him and welcomed him. Legolas stood in front of his elven brother and embraced him in their elvish way.

"And there is the strange beauty who had once graced me with her presence," Haldir said when he saw Erytheia, his eyes were more friendly than they had been when they first met though they were still hard. She smiled at him and gently placed her arms around him feeling his strong hands on her back. When he released her she stepped aside to stand by Aragorn as Haldir proclaimed his allegience. There numbers had risen greatly, but they were still far outnumbered.

…

They stood silently waiting for Saruman's army to arrive. They saw the glowing torches from the ten thousand marching towards them, and Erytheia was struck by how almost beautiful it was. She was standing behind Gimli next to Legolas amidst the elves from Lothlórien waiting for Aragorn to tell her when to attack. The army was marching ever nearer when lightening burst from the sky illuminating everything for a few seconds before it was dark again; and then it began raining.

Erytheia could see their shear numbers against their little few and hoped that they'd all somehow live to see tomorrow, but knew that they all wouldn't. Legolas looked over at Erytheia, remembering the feel of her tongue on his and he prayed he would feel it again after this was over. She looked over at him and they shared a look before they turned to Gimli, who was jumping trying to see over the wall.

"What's happening out there?"

"Shall I describe it to you," Legolas said smiling, "or would you like me to find you a box?" He looked down at Gimli, who was looking up at the elf shocked; and then they both turned to Erytheia who snorted from trying not to laugh. Gimli looked between the two and laughed before turning back to the wall. Legolas looked to Erytheia to see her small smile, seeing the worry and fight in her eyes. "Gerich veleth nín," he said softly.

She looked at him with furrowed brows, not understanding what he'd said, but he smiled before turning away. She turned away from him reluctantly, knowing he would not tell her what that meant at that time, and faced the thousands of orcs.

An old man released his arrow without meaning to, killing an orc in the front lines. Silence fell over them all when the orc fell then Erytheia felt anger rippling through the orcs, and they roared before running to attack. Aragorn gave the order for the elves to prepare fire and she watched as their loosed arrows dropped many orcs, but more only came after them.

"Did they hit anything?" Gimli asked her, excitement rolling from him in waves.

He was so much like his father, she thought as she looked down at him. "Yes, though it matters little when there are thousands more," she told him and he nodded.

The men began firing and the elves continued their onslaught and many orcs fell, but their numbers were so great it looked as though it hardly made a difference. Gimli stood waiting impatiently for the orcs he would kill and Erytheia stood waiting to fly.

The orcs began loosing their own arrows killing men and elves alike, and the other orcs began setting up their ladders.

"Erytheia," Aragorn yelled to her. "Take the ones in the back we'll deal with these."

She began walking back and the elves behind her moved out of her way, then she ran and lept off the wall and no one – not man, elf, or orc - missed the moment when her wings erupted from her back and she turned into a dragon. She flew over many orcs often turning so their arrows would hit her scaled armor and breathed fire against the orcs in the back, burning them to death. But she could only face them so long with her vulnerable underbelly before she had to turn upside down so no weapons would strike her.

She depleted many of the ones towards the rear, knocking them back by a thousand, but she saw something that had her flying back to the fortress. She saw the ladders were raised and she swiped two with her tail, breaking them and sending the orcs crashing to the ground a good distance below, before she turned human. She had planned to land on her feet after she changed in the air but instead found herself in the arms of Haldir.

"There is my dragon beauty, I was hoping to see you fly." She smiled at him before unsheathing her sword and thrusting it in an orc behind him. He released her and she began fighting her way to Aragorn. She could hear Legolas and Gimli's voices as she tried to make her way to Aragorn, but he was moving away from her. "Aragorn," she yelled to him but he did not hear her over all other noise, though Legolas had and he tried his best to follow her path as he killed the orcs.

Erytheia continued for Aragorn, trying to call him again but once she'd have a moment to yell to him another orc would be before her and she would have to defend herself. More ladders were coming up bringing with them several more orcs, and the going was slow. If she could have changed and breathed fire without killing any of her men she would have, but she couldn't without hurting the people she was fighting with so she made her way as quickly as she could to her closest friend.

"Aragorn!" she yelled as loud as she could, and this time he turned at the sound of her voice. She was too far to yell what she wanted and for him to hear it, so she pointed to the orc in middle of the other orcs running with a lighted torch, hoping he would understand.

It took Aragorn a moment before he finally saw what she thought was so urgent, and it sent a dagger of fear straight into his heart. He called for Legolas, urging him to bring the orc down. By that time Erytheia had reached Aragorn and she fought the orcs around him. "Kill him!" Aragorn cried. "Kill him!"

Legolas hit the orc twice with his arrows, though it did nothing; onward it ran to the bridge.

Aragorn turned to Erytheia and their eyes met a moment before it blew, and then they were in the air. She didn't have enough time to change skin before her head connected with something and her world turned black.

* * *

_Gerich veleth nín -_ you have my love. Which basically Legolas said he loved her, but she doesn't know Sindarin so she doesn't know he basically said I love you.


	18. for every will, that is broken

Aragorn woke from where he'd landed, his head heavy and his vision blurry, to see the orcs charging into Helm's Deep. "Aragorn!" Gimli cried when he saw the orcs making for him and him still on the ground, and Aragorn watched Gimli leap from the wall and into the swarm of orcs. He looked to his side to see Erytheia, for she had been next to him when the wall blew, only she was not there. She instead was laid crumpled and unmoving beside the wall; and he stood and took his eyes from her only when he saw that Legolas had her in his sights.

Legolas shot down the stairs on an orc's breastplate killing as many orcs as he could, his path intent for where Erytheia had fallen. Their was an orc standing over her with a spear, and ice filled his veins when it raised the spear as he notched his arrow. He was at her side when the orc fell to the ground, and he cast a quick look around before he cradled her in his arms. There was blood on the side of her head from where she had struck the rock wall, but she was alive and for that he would never stop being grateful. He heard first the voice of Théoden calling to Aragorn to get the elves to retreat, and then Aragorn as he yelled "Pull back to the keep!"

Legolas looked to see Gimli still fighting, refusing with all his dwarven pride he would not retreat, and threw Erytheia over his shoulder and grabbed Gimli's arm and pulled him along. The fight went out of the dwarf when he saw her limp body and moaned of how he should have saved her – for their was much blood painting the side of her face red. "She is not lost yet, Gimli," Legolas told him.

He laid her down in the main hall, where many wounded men were being tended to. He tried to wipe the blood from her head but he couldn't find where she was bleeding. "Tell her," Gimli said at his side. Legolas looked over at the dwarf to see Gimli staring hard at him. "Tell her you love her."

Legolas looked down at her sleeping face and smiled softly, wishing she were awake so he could do just that. He looked up to see Gimli had walked away toward Aragorn, and Legolas looked at the two with furrowed brows. Aragorn caught sight of Erytheia's black hair, his eyes widened and he stepped forward but Gimli's hand on his arm stopped him. Legolas watched as Gimli said something and then as Aragorn looked back to Erytheia before they both turned away; and his sharp blue eyes followed the two as they snuck up a stairwell.

He looked back to Erytheia to see her eyes blinking slowly. "Go," she whispered, having seen Aragorn and Gimli leaving. He smiled before kissing her softly, but her eyes had closed once more, and he made his way back onto the wall.

Erytheia thought for a moment whether she wanted to move before she finally did, and she nearly fell back to the floor when the world turned on its side and everything swirled.

"Lady dragon," Théoden said when he saw her walking, her hand on the wall to hold herself up. "You do not look well." And she didn't; she was pale, her blood painted her face and orc blood stained her dress, and she looked as though at any moment standing would become unbearable.

"I am alright," she told him, and he could tell from the way the words fell from her lips she was dazed; she almost sounded drunk. "I have to find Aragorn. He plans to jump onto the bridge you know?" She strained to make the king stop moving and for the light from the torches to dim so they did not pain her head so.

"How do you?" he asked before a commotion sounded behind him on the other side of the main gate. Sure enough when he turned he saw Aragorn on the bridge fighting the orcs that tried to breach the keep. Theoden turned back to the dragon woman to see she was walking toward the stairs that would lead her back to the wall. "Where are you going my lady?" he asked her.

"I have to find," she said pausing to blink, which seemed to take all of her concentration.

"Your elf?" he finished for her, thinking he should order back to the hall.

She pointed a finger at him. "Yes," she said before turning and making her way up the stairs but Théoden pulled her back.

"Your elf can care for himself, you look as though death whispers in your ear," he said pushing her toward the hall. "Go, that is an order from the king." He met her almost drunken eyes with his own hard gaze before telling her to go once more. He watched her a moment as she went, realizing she was not the beast he had thought her; seeing her for the first time the woman Aragorn treasured so much.

That was where Legolas found her when he returned with the rest of the men, as they barricaded themselves in the hall for the orcs numbers where too great for their few. Erytheia sat as a man cleaned the blood from her face, finding the gash was beneath her hair on the side of her head. There was a sharpness to everything, stabbing her mind painfully; the men's voices, their panic, Legolas' blue eyes. Though his was a pain she would only willingly face as he stood beside her whispering elvish words in her ear.

"So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?"

Théoden's voice, loud with despair and loss of hope, silenced the words on Legolas' tongue. He had been reciting a lullaby his mother had sung to him as a child, something she did not realize had been soothing her until his words ceased.

"Ride out with me," Aragorn told Théoden. "Ride out and meet them."

"For death and glory," Théoden said quietly, seeing in Aragorn the man that had fought with his father years ago.

"For Rohan. For your people," Aragorn urged, seeing the excitement grow in the king.

"The sun is rising," Gimli said, for it was the day Gandalf had said he would return.

"The Horn of Helm Hammerhand will sound in the deep, one last time," Théoden said with pride and conviction in his voice.

Legolas turned from them and back to Erytheia who was leaning her head against his chest. He would have kissed her had her head not been paining her, for he could see behind her golden eyes that each beat of her heart hurt.

"You will remain here," Aragorn said after he'd finished speaking with Théoden, coming to stand before his closest friend. "I always have some for you," he said before chewing some Athelas leaves and pressing them against her wound. The leaves were not fresh but after the initial sting her head began to clear and her heart did not pound so loudly.

Legolas kissed her temple gently, seeing the bruise that was beginning to form. "Gerich veleth nín," he said once more before standing.

Erytheia looked at him with furrowed brows wondering what it was he had said, and her eyes found Aragorn's who's were wide with surprise. "What?" she asked him knowing it had to have been something for Aragorn to appear so taken aback.

He quickly masked his face and shook his head. "Nothing," he said quickly before turning from her, knowing if she looked at him too long he would tell her – and as always with Legolas and Erytheia, it was simply not the time.

…

Erytheia joined the women and children as they gleefully came from the caves, reunited with their loved ones, or mourning for them. Erytheia did not stop when she saw Aragorn, who embraced a relieved Eowyn with a smile, she did not stop until she found Legolas.

"Final count," he said confidently, "forty-two."

Gimli took the smoking pipe from between his lips. "That's not bad for a pointy eared elvish princeling," Gimli said patronizingly making Legolas look at him curiously. "I myself am sitting pretty on forty-three."

Erytheia had just reached the bottom step, having waited for two men to lift an orc off the steps, when Legolas grabbed a bow and shot the orc beneath Gimli.

"Forty-three," Legolas said arrogantly, and Erytheia rolled her eyes trying not to smile at the two as she walked to them.

Gimli's heart was racing from seeing the arrow hit so close to between his legs. "He was already dead," he told the elf, seeing Erytheia walking toward them but he paid her little mind.

"He was twitching," Legolas said innocently.

"He was twitching because he's got my ax embedded in his nervous system," Gimli said pulling on the handle making the orc twitch violently.

Erytheia reached Legolas' side and looked between the two of them with bland eyes. "I do not have a final count," she told Gimli before he asked.

He nodded and looked at her with a small smile. "That's alright, lassie," he said reassuringly. "Do you have a guess?"

She looked at him thoughtfully – Legolas watched the way she pursed her lips, knowing it meant she was trying not to smile, and he knew her number had them both beat. He was not wrong. "A little more than a thousand, I guess," she said with a shrug.

Gimli sputtered as he looked at her with wide eyes, having never guessed her number would amount so great. Legolas only smiled, reaching his hand to brush against her own; their eyes meeting in a wave of fire and passion.

They turned at the sound of Aragorn approaching. "I am staying here again," Erytheia said when he stopped before her.

"Yes," he said with a small nod. "You need to rest, and eat," he told her before he kissed her brow and watched her walk back toward the keep where she stopped to speak with Eowyn. "You should tell her," Aragorn said turning to Legolas. "In a tongue she understands."

Gimli looked up at Legolas to see the elf looking down embarrassed. "I knew it," Gimli proclaimed with a wide smile as he hit the elf's arm jolting him. "You were saying you loved her."

Legolas felt his cheek warm and they burned even hotter at the sound of Gimli and Aragorn's laughter as they made their way to their horses. Legolas sat with Gimli at his back as they made ready to leave for Isengard, and he cast a look back to see Erytheia standing at the top of the wall looking at him. He saw the small smile on her lips, ones he could not wait to lay kisses upon again, and he raised a hand in farewell though he would come back to her in only a short while.

* * *

_Can you guys believe it? That's the end of the second movie, it felt like it went by so fast. Now I'm on to the third. Hope you guys are still enjoying it. And as always, thank you for reading._


	19. no matter how dark it may be,

Erytheia was asleep when they returned, they had been gone two day and two nights and had arrived on the third dawn after the king's people had returned to Edoras. She felt him when he drew near and it woke her, turning on her side she saw him standing in the doorway.

"How is your head?" he asked her softly as he walked into the room and sat on the bed beside her.

"It's alright," she told him. "There's barely a mark."

He brushed her hair back to see she was right, only a thin line could just barely be made out on her skin. Blue eyes met gold ones, his hand still in her hair, their hearts racing and their blood boiling from the nearness of each other. He pulled her head forward bringing her mouth to his and placing his other hand on her hip, he had wanted to do this since the battle had begun; since he had first spoken words of love. She held his shirt in her fists as she pulled herself closer, seeking out the heat from his own body as though it kept the flame behind her skin lit.

"We missed a lot didn't we?"

"Shh, Pippin!"

Erytheia and Legolas broke apart and looked behind them curiously to see Merry and Pippin blushing and Aragorn and Gimli behind them. Pippin ran to her when she smiled and threw his arms around her neck squeezing her with all his little might, having missed her and the warmth he could feel in her skin. She kept one arm around Pippin and held the other open for Merry who hugged her tightly as well; they were both alright, she hadn't failed them.

"Your head has healed nicely," Aragorn said looking beneath her hair briefly. "Perhaps we should join the king for breakfast," he said looking down at her amusedly, seeing she was forcing her cheeks from pinkening.

"Yes, I'm starved," Pippin said happily as he jumped down from her cot, and Merry followed suit just as hungry as his friend.

Erytheia looked after the two, seeing she was easily forgotten in face of a meal. "Come," Aragorn told her smiling as he pulled her to her feet.

Legolas walked behind her, seeing Aragorn's hand around her back as he told her what had happened in Isengard; and then his eyes trailed to the sway of her hips, a flowing movement that entranced his elven heart. He almost jumped startled when Gimli nudged him, looking down to see the dwarf smiling at the now slightly blushing elf.

Eowyn greeted them warmly, her eyes lingering on Aragorn before she turned to Erytheia. "This is my brother, Éomer," she said of the horselord the four had come across weeks ago.

"Milady," he said taking her hand and bringing it to his lips, staring hard into her strange yellow eyes; having forgotten how beautiful she was. "My sister has spoken of your kind heart, and my uncle of your bravery in battle."

She smiled uncomfortable beneath his heated gaze. "They have both spoken fondly of you," she said lowering her hand to her side when he released his hold on her. "You were very kind to let us ride your horses," she said much to Aragorn's relief, for she was not used to exchanging niceties, and he stood at her side almost proud.

"I am glad you found the friends you were looking for," he told her, still staring into her eyes.

She smiled again, a twitch upon her lips, feeling her chest flush as he continued gazing at her. "As am I," she said softly.

Éomer almost smirked before he bowed his head and bid her a good day, asking to see her at the night's feast, walking with his sister. "She is in love with the elf," Eowyn informed him. Eomer only smiled as he looked back to the lovely raven haired woman, her golden eyes still haunting his thoughts as when he'd first seen her weeks previous.

Erytheia looked up at Aragorn. "What was that?" she asked quietly.

Aragorn smiled down at her, wondering when he would have to tell her about this; for she was very beautiful, and many a men might have taken a liking to her if not for the darkness that surrounded her beauty. "It appears he has taken a fondness for you," Aragorn told her as he lead her further into the dining hall.

She looked at him incredulously. "I've only spoken with him twice."

Aragorn might have laughed if she understood, but these were very human things and they were foreign to her. "You are very pretty," he told her making her roll her eyes, for to her her human skin was plain and weak; she had honestly never felt more beautiful than when Smaug had looked at her, though it wasn't until Legolas that she felt desirable for the first time. These were all things that confused her, and so she sighed and said nothing. At seeing this Aragorn said; "You also killed more orcs than any man in the battle," making her smile gently.

"Or dwarf," she said in return and Aragorn smiled wider.

"I told you lass, it doesn't count when you are dragon," Gimli said coming to stand beside her, leaving Legolas to continue following dejectedly after – he had not like the way Eomer had looked at her, and worse yet he did not like how flustered it had made her. Those were things only he had done, and it set his stomach to churning at seeing the man watching her with a searching heated gaze.

"It does too," Erytheia told Gimli taking no notice of Legolas' morose state. "If you get to use your ax and it count, then it counts when I am a dragon."

"That's different," Gimli told her. "People cannot breathe fire."

She sighed. "I am a dragon Gimli," she told him, her heart growing heavy.

"No," he said looking up at her, not an ounce of doubt in his eyes nor his heart. "You are a woman who can turn into a dragon, there is a difference lassie," he told her firmly. And he continued when he saw she was going to refuse him. "Dragon's do not kiss elves."

She pressed her lips together as she looked away, feeling a smile twitching on her mouth; not because of embarrassment, or at the thought of kissing Legolas – but because having seen her as a dragon, Gimli fully believed her to be human, and that touched her most of all.

"He's right you know," Pippin said taking her hand impatiently and pulling her toward the food, his small never-full stomach growling. "They don't befriend hobbit's either."

"And they're not as kind as you," Merry added looking up at her from Pippin's side. She smiled down at the two, having missed their naive honesty and their large hearts.

A little ways behind her Aragorn put his hand on Gimli's shoulder. "She struggles believing she is human," he told the dwarf. "I do not think you know how much your words mean to her." He turned his eyes to the elf. "You know her, she does not believe she can be loved for what she is. Tell her or I will, I won't see her hurt," he warned gently, for love was new to Legolas as well, before making his way back to Erytheia's side.

* * *

_I'm sorry this one took a bit longer, and that it's shorter. I started a new story with Azog and now every time I went to write this one my head was all like, oh here's an idea for the Azog story and I would go off and do that one. So, I'm very sorry. _


	20. there is redemption

The feast was great and all the men who had fought and lived ate and drank, the women serving them; the only woman, who was not old or had not lost a man in battle, who did not serve the warriors was Erytheia, for she had fought in the battle herself. And she stood at Legolas' side listening to the king of Rohan speak.

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country," he said looking around at them all. And raising his cup he said; "Hail the victorious dead!"

The men and women around them cried, "Hail!" in return, though she only raised her glass along with the others. She looked over at Legolas when he pressed his shoulder more against her, touching her innocently to the eyes of all but her, and she turned away trying not to smile at his own upturned mouth.

They were dismissed to continue feasts and making merriment as they pleased, and Erytheia left Legolas and Gimli to speak with Aragorn – feeling his blue eyes following her as she walked away from him. When she finally returned to the two she saw that Gimli had coaxed Legolas into drinking the men's ale.

"Lady Erytheia," Eomer said with a smile when she stood at his side. "A pleasure to see you again."

She smiled and gave a short laugh when he kissed her hand once more, and he smirked before releasing her. "I am not a lady," she told him, hiding her discomfort; feeling Legolas' eyes heavy on her face as he stared hard at them.

Eomer smiled, though he did not rival the beauty of Legolas he was handsome in his own rugged right. "Very well, Erytheia," he said. "And you may call me Eomer."

She almost asked him what else she was supposed to call him, but then she remembered how Aragorn had tried to teach her the numerous titles for different people – something she had given up remembering – and instead she gave him a small smile and turned to Legolas to find him still staring at her. "What?" she mouthed and he blinked startled, having not realized he'd been staring as he thought.

He did not like the way Eomer looked at her, for it was the way he looked at her; nor did he like how flustered it made her, though she did well at hiding it he could see it in the flicking of her eyes, and it made something hot boil in his chest to see them speaking.

Eomer took his eyes from Erytheia's beautiful face and looked at the elf and the dwarf. "No pauses, no spills," he said pouring them each a mug of their finest ale and handing it to them.

Gimli took it with a smile. "And no regurgitation."

Erytheia's eyes were on Legolas, watching as he almost timidly took the mug. "It is a drinking game?" Legolas asked looking to Gimli.

The men around them hollered their agreement. "Last one standing wins?" Gimli asked excitedly, knowing the elf could not possible beat in holding his ale. The men around hollered their drunken agreements once more and Legolas looked at them almost confusedly: she felt her lips pursing as a smile tried to curl on her mouth, watching him smell the ale warily was positively endearing. His eyes flicked to hers, almost as though he was worried she'd left him, before lifting the mug to his lips; Gimli had already begun guzzling his and was demanding a second.

Mug after mug they consumed, Gimli tossing it back as only a dwarf could and Legolas drinking it quickly as only an elf could. She and Eomer could tell the more time passed the drunker Gimli was becoming, his voice growling and his eyes crossing often. Her eyes widened when she heard a horrid sound come from Gimli, who had lifted himself off the chair to let it out, and she looked to Eomer who could do no more than shrug with his nose wrinkled in disgust. Rolling her eyes was all she could managed when Gimli spoke of hairy dwarves and she looked around for Aragorn so she could run away.

"I feel something," Legolas said softly making her turn to him. "A slight tingle in my fingers. I think it's effecting me," he told her, his eyes wide as though he were a child.

"What did I say," Gimli said laughing sloppily, "he can't hold his liquor."

The three watched as Gimli's eyes crossed before he fell out of his chair unconscious. "Game over," Legolas said proudly, making whatever smile Erytheia had been about to form slip away at the heated look in his eyes. He jumped over the table before she could blink and gathered her in his arm and kissed her, the men roaring their pleasure at the sight, and she pushed him away.

She stared at him shocked outrage to see him almost pouting. "You reek of ale," she said, and he had tasted of it too. "Do not give him anymore," she said looking at Eomer was watching her with a smile, though his eyes were staring hard at her.

"Of course, Erytheia," he told her lowly, the corners of his mouth lifting making her feel flushed as he seemed to always make her feel.

Legolas moved so he stood against her back, and he pointed a finger at Eomer and said; "I don't like," he paused to swallow, "the way you look at her," this time he paused to think of a word, "horserider."

Eomer might have taken offense if the elf were not drunk and she not rolling her eyes irritably. As it was, he stood in front of the two seeing her taking his hands from her hips as he tried to grab her and pull her closer.

"For almost a century she has haunted my thoughts," Legolas continued, tilting his head up as though to better look at the man. "She is mine."

The look in Erytheia's golden eyes was hard and irritated, making Eomer bite back a smile. "I'm his," she said blandly, knowing without looking that Legolas was smiling behind her. She tilted her head away from him when she felt his lips on her cheeks, his mouth wet, and she turned to him with exasperated furrowed brows. "Get Gimli and go to the room we were given," she told him making him pout before complying.

"He is quite taken with you," Eomer said.

His mouth was straight but his eyes were smiling. "This is not funny," she told him, but looking at his now laughing face she had to force herself not to smile in return.

"Of course Erytheia," he said bowing slightly and kissing her hand in farewell.

She took her hand from his grasp and cast a last look at him before turning to Legolas who had a snoring Gimli over his shoulder and waiting for her command. With a sigh she shooed him onward and she followed behind, finding Aragorn's eyes as he looked at the three confused, before continuing on to their room.

Legolas let Gimli fall on the cot with a loud thump and a creak and he turned to her, grabbing her and kissing her before she could stop him. She wanted to push him off her, knew she should push him off her for he was drunk, but with his tongue on hers those thoughts fled her. "Gerich veleth nín," he mumbled against her mouth.

Pulling away she looked at him with knitted brows. "What does that mean?"

With a lazy smile he said; "you have my love."

Shock stole every ounce of her mirth, never had she let herself imagine he would ever say he loved her; she had not thought it possible when he was an elf and she half beast. "You love me?" she asked softly, knowing with ale his tongue had grown looser and now might possibly be the only time he would answer her.

He grabbed her face and looked at her. "Yes I do," he said before kissing her again.

…

Legolas woke with a jolt, he had been dreaming of kissing her – though it had quickly turned to less appropriate things as it always seemed to – and then he was falling head first toward the ground. It wasn't until he sat up and the world spun as his head throbbed so hard he felt it in the roots of his hair that he remembered last night. He could recall her face, which had been so lovely, and he recalled Eomer's, which had been staring hard at hers, and he could remembering drinking though what happened after he'd won turned fuzzy. He couldn't quite remember what was said, words from him or to him; he could just barely bring to mind him and Erytheia speaking in the darkened room but again, not the words.

"Here."

He looked up at the sound of her voice and took the cup of water gratefully, wondering if she would tell him. "What happened last night?" he asked, his voice thick in his throat and he took another drink.

Erytheia looked at his pale face. "How much do you remember?"

"Not much after the game," he admitted seeing her smile softly.

"Well," she started and he almost groaned knowing it would be embarrassing, "you informed Eomer that you dislike the way he looks at me." She looked at him sitting in the bed and saw the horror in his eyes and she continued. "You also said that I have been haunting you for almost a century and that I am yours."

He looked at her, his eyes flicking to hers before looking at his lap; unable to do or say anything more than clearing his throat.

She looked on him with pity. "Would you like me to continue?" she asked softly.

"There is more?" he asked with wide eyes and she nearly smiled.

"You carried Gimli to the room," she started. "And then you told me I had your love." She saw the shock fill his face and she sat back knowing it had been too good to be true, her heart growing heavier each second he took trying to form words.

He hadn't realized how loose his tongue had been, that he would have told her he loved her then; he had wanted to be clear headed when he finally did. But looking quickly at her face he realized he'd made a mistake – he'd always known she never believed anyone, especially himself, could love her for what she was – he should have spoken already. And so he told her the truth: "I had wished to tell you when I wasn't-"

"Drunk?" she finished for him when he stopped to think.

He looked at her, holding her eyes, and this time it was she who turned away. He knew she didn't believe it, that she would not allow herself to in fear that she would be hurt – and in that moment it was all too clear that she loved him. And so, even though his head hurt and moving made it worse, he leaned forward and grabbed her arms pulling her so she lay beside him. He stifled every sound she made beneath his mouth, running his tongue along hers, feeling her arms wrap around his waist as he kept an arm around her back and a hand in her hair. She was breathless when he pulled away, her eyes stark with fear and hope. "Don't ever doubt my love for you," he told her seeing her eyes fill with tears as she turned her head away. He kissed his way from her cheek to her neck, running his teeth along her jaw, feeling the heat from the skin of her breasts on his neck as she breathed, his entire body buzzing with need for her.

"It's about time," Gimli grumbled from the cot next to Legolas'. They both looked over at him with eyes wide with embarrassment and he chuckled before wincing at the motion and the sound for his poor aching head.

Legolas looked back to Erytheia, seeing her yellow eyes were on his blue ones, and he smiled softly; for he could see now the fear was gone, only the hope remained. And so once more he kissed her.

* * *

_I'm sorry again for the wait, thank you all so much for sticking with it and still reading. It really does mean a lot to me. Part of the reason why it took so long is that I discovered Lord of the Rings Online, which I have to say I understand why online games are addicting; I've never played one before and I really enjoy this one. __So Legolas finally said he loved her, so she could understand. They actually spent a while in Rohan before leaving I believe, either weeks or months. So there will be a lot of development between their staying in Rohan and their going to war; and I'm super excited for it. Also, her relationship with Eomer will develop as well and I hope people are liking it so far. Cause all it is on his part is flirting, but in the original story they actually became really good friends. Thanks so much for reading still. _


	21. My mind's lost with nightmares streaming

_Badass: thank you very much for reviewing. I have a prequel to this story called Hopeless Wanderer that goes over her time with the elves, as well as her time with Smaug and Aragorn._

* * *

He had not been prepared for her passion, for the fire that raged in her blood. He was as innocent as a still young elf could be, having never felt this way for a woman of any sort before – these things were new to him, forbidden until they were wed. And yet he reveled in them so greatly it took a sharp tug in the consciousness of his mind before he pulled away, leaving them both breathless and in want for what he could not yet give her.

It didn't normally start that way, where the flames of their desire burned their souls. He would kiss her gently, just pressing his lips against hers so that she'd melt into him and wrap her arms around his shoulders; her breasts soft and round against his chest, her skin warm through the fabric of his clothes, her tongue dancing with his. And then everything would change. There was no sweet, no gentle. One moment it was tender and then next they were pulling each other closer, pressing further against one another as though they wanted to crawl beneath the other's skin. These were the moments where the flame beneath her skin set him ablaze, scorching him with need for her; his fingers winding in her hair so that he pulled it, his arm around her back anchoring her to his chest, her arms around his neck as she demanded him closer.

Each second that passed the hotter he grew, needing things he had not moments before; his hands roaming down her sides and over her hips to her legs, wanting the feel of them around him as he laid on top of her. And then he would pull away, unable to keep himself from the yearning to have her, to do away with every caution and have her as his own – to make her his wife himself. But a small tug on his very soul had his mind resurfacing and he felt the ache of want pressed firmly against her hip, and he stepped back for air.

These were things she did not fully understand, though she knew as a human she was only to lay with her husband it did not touch her. As Aragorn had known and been worried because of; for he knew she did not understand the way in which Legolas was bound to his purity, and Legolas knew but was careless with the ways in which she could please him. Often time Aragorn's eyes would fall upon them, his hand touching her lightly or holding her firmly against him when they believed they were unseen – and he saw the way Erytheia leaned into the elf's touch, craving it, needing it. Aragorn worried for her, for them both; were Erytheia not a dragon, and Legolas not an elf prince they could be wed even now. However, with what they both were there would be a troubled road before them for he was a prince; he was to marry an elleth of noble birth and bear strong children, not love a woman who was barely even human. And so Aragorn watched them closely, seeing the more they grew to love each other, the stronger they grew together, seeing the need they both had. Knowing the many paths before them, ones of happiness, and ones similar to his own; pain. And he could not bear to see her hurt.

Even through their loving euphoria they could feel the darkness reaching throughout the land, forcing them to cling to each other all the more as they fought the fear in their hearts. They both knew this would end in a terrible battle, a war that would be known to last the ages, one that would bring about death and pain; they knew this in the fabric of their hearts, and it frightened both she and him at the thought of losing each other now.

But Erytheia was, and she had been, a woman of many doubts. Only this time she did not have Aragorn to turn to, how could she when Legolas was his friend and given a choice Aragorn would choose her. And Gimli was not even a considerations, for the elf and the dwarf were as close as two men of different races could ever be. Which left her with little option, for she did not befriend many; it only left her with Eomer, and he was only too happy to oblige if it meant her company.

…

"So you kill it?" Erytheia asked Eomer as they walked toward the dining hall, trying for yet another time to understand the term "game".

"Yes," he told her amusedly, this having been the third time he'd tried to explain it.

She nodded as she thought, not any closer to understanding as she had been the first time when she saw a boar's head mounted on a wall. Though Eomer had told her it had more to do with her being a woman than half dragon, something that had made her smile softly for it was something Aragorn would have done – assured her she was still human.

"Though something tells me that is not why you found me," he said looking at her.

She turned away not able to meet his eyes. "It is nothing," she told him shaking her head.

His lips curled in a half smile as she looked at the stone beneath her feet. "That is not true," he said teasing making her laugh lightly.

"Perhaps I wished to see you," she said offering an excuse rather than telling him what bothered her; as he came to realize she did often.

And so his eyes narrowed as he appraised her. "Has something happened?" He watched her pretty face closely, seeing the emotion flick across her features before she said no. "You doubt him again," he said knowing he was right by the uncertainty on her face, and something he could not understand for the elf's love for her was as clear as day.

Erytheia tried to look at him and hold his stare but she could not, her eyes fell as did all pretenses. "I do not mean to," she said softly, almost pitifully.

He looked at her kindly, wishing she would see that he himself would love her so fiercely not a single thread of doubt would enter her thoughts. But she would not, for he knew she loved Legolas – her love is what made her afraid. "What has caused it this time?" he asked her gently, having seen and spoken with her of her doubts before.

Erytheia shrugged. "It was only a dream," she admitted quietly, wrapping her arms around her waist as though to protect herself.

"What was it of?"

"I was alone," she answered. "He had left me, broken and destroyed. I didn't understand what happened but I was bleeding. I think I was dying, and I think he was the one who hurt me. But everyone had left me, and it was all so real." She was caught in the darkness of her mind, remembering how black and terrifying a dream it had been; and no comfort did she find when she woke next to him, seeing his handsome face soft and asleep next to her.

"Erytheia," Eomer said cupping her cheek, bringing her back into the sun. "It was only a dream," he told her firmly, staring hard into her worried fearful eyes. Neither of them knowing, only she feeling, the darkness that was plaguing her mind. The evil that was trying to penetrate her thoughts.

She smiled uncomfortably as she moved her face away, his hand falling to his side. "You probably think me silly."

"No," he told her making her look up at him hopefully. "I do think you worry unjustly," he said giving her a small smile, one which she forced herself to return as they continued walking.

Legolas had been with Gimli, the two having made a bet they could spar and beat more of the Rohirrim than the other could. He would have smiled when he saw Erytheia, but the mirth left him at seeing her walking with Eomer – something she did more frequently as of late, something that made his chest hot and mind reel – as well as seeing the unhappiness on her face. He nodded a bow as Eomer left her with him, seeing the man place his arm on her back as he looked at her fondly; the same way Legolas himself looked at her.

"Has something happened?" he asked her after Eomer had left, wondering what it was that upset her.

She looked at him and shook her head. "It is nothing," she told him, and in that moment seeing the warmth in his blue eyes it felt like nothing. She felt as though she had worried for naught, Legolas' hand on her arm and his eyes staring into hers and his mouth quirked in a half smile, peace washing over her.

Until night fell, and her dark dreams returned stealing all warmth and love from her leaving her bare, cold, and alone. Tormented for hours as she laid unable to wake, being hurt and seduced in the blackest most evil of ways; leaving her broken and scared as tears fell silent and warm down her still sleeping face. And she'd gasp awake, a spell being broken, shaking as she tried to breathe. No warm hand to hold hers in the dead of night, no comfort to cling to so her fears would leave her. She was left with no hope.


	22. take me out of this place I'm in

"Can I talk to you?" She had thrown Éomer's door open and thrown it shut leaning against it, holding a lighted candle.

"Morning to you too," he grumbled as he sat up. He watched her with irritated tired eyes as she walked briskly to sit beside him on the bed.

She placed the candle on the small table beside his bed, took a deep breath and looked at him ready to tell him what was wrong. "Are you naked?" she asked, her brows furrowed as she looked at him with wide eyes.

"I was sleeping," he growled, "you barged in here, or do you not recall? What time is it?" He felt as though he'd only slept a few hours.

"I don't know," Erytheia said softly feeling chastised, "a few hours til dawn."

"It is the middle of the night," he exclaimed angrily, having only slept but a few hours.

"I know, I'm sorry."

He calmed himself at the sound of desperation in her voice, seeing the worry and sadness flickering on her face in the light of the little flame. "Would you like to join me?" he asked with a smirk. "That is all I can offer at this time of night." He expected her to look at him in shocked amusement or in embarrassment, as she always did, but when he saw the confusion and sadness as well as fear in her eyes he got out of the bed and pulled on his pants. "What is it?" He knelt before her and took her hands in his.

Erytheia sighed, remembering waking with tears in her eyes and her heart drumming to the beat of panic. "I had a dream."

"What was it about?" he asked gently, watching as she thought in the dim candlelight.

"The dream" she paused to find the right words "was not important."

"Alright," he said slowly and unsure of what was wrong. "What troubles you?" he asked brushing the hair out of her face, his fingers remaining on her cheek.

"Do you think he would love me?" she asked, her voice small quaint thing and he could see that thought was what she was afraid of.

"He loves you, anyone can see that," he told her firmly, having no doubts of the truth of his words.

"Yes but does he love _me_?" she asked looking at him with wide uncertain eyes.

His furrowed brows knitted tighter as he looked at her. "He loves you for who are, your bravery, your loyalty, your compassion."

"Yes, but could he love me for _what _I am?" she asked hopelessly, tears filling her eyes as she remembered Legolas looking at her as though she were a monster.

He saw the tears in her eyes and he sighed before standing and sitting next to her with arm around her shoulder.

"I do not believe I know him well enough to give you a certain answer. But I have seen the way he looks at you, and I believe he already does." He wiped a tear that had fallen from her eye and pulled her to him resting his chin on the top of her head. "Why did you not ask Aragorn, he knows Legolas better than I do."

"I did not think it would be fair to put him in the middle of it. I did not know who else to talk to," she told him quietly, basking in the comfort he offered; though the only peace she would ever find would come from Legolas' arms.

"You are loyal to many people," he mumbled in her hair. "There are very few you love enough to give your life for, Aragorn and that silly hobbit are a few. But you've never actually _loved_ someone have you?"

"No," she told him meekly.

"You have never been with a man," he stated with a smile.

"Eomer," she said exasperated, moving to look at him.

"I was simply putting the pieces together, I did not mean you should lie with me. You would find no objections from me if you wished to though," he added smirking. She looked up at him with stern eyes but when he smiled at her she began laughing.

"Thank you."

"I will always be here should you ever have need of me," he told her still kneeling before her. "What was your dream about?" He wondered what had made her so upset.

Her brows drew together as she thought. "I am not sure. I remember that it was dark, and I was afraid. When I woke and Legolas was not beside me I felt as though it was not worthy of him. "

"You should not think on those things." He turned her face towards his but saw that her mind was elsewhere.

"Something is wrong," she whispered, feeling a darkness stretching around her. She rushed for the door and opened it only to walk into Aragorn with Legolas behind him. Both Legolas and Aragorn looked behind her to see Eomer pulling a shirt on, and they turned their eyes towards Erytheia.

Aragorn could Legolas' hurt face out of the corner of his eye and Erytheia's guilty face before him. "We do not have time for this," he said before pulling her arm and walking toward their room.

"Pippin."

Aragorn looked to Erytheia and saw her wide golden eyes looking back at him in fear before he ran. When they reached the room they saw Pippin holding the Palantír as he writhed and seized on the floor, his eyes shut tight and his mouth opened to scream though no sound left him. Aragorn grabbed it from the hobbit and withered to the floor, and Erytheia reached for him. Her fingers brushed against the smooth stone and the same darkness that had plagued her dreams entered her mind and caught hold of her. It was not Legolas, who had also reached for Aragorn and now held him up, that caught Erytheia as she fell; but Eomer.

Legolas looked to Erytheia expecting to see her staring worriedly down at her friend, but his eyes were met with the sight of her closed eyes and sleeping face – though she looked more to be fighting a nightmare than any peace. But most of all, Legolas saw her in Eomer's arms as the man cradled her limp body his chest, and a hot fire spread through him at the sight.

Eomer got to his knees and shook her gently once before realizing she would not wake, and he waited silently as the wizard turned on the hobbit and demanded answers. Gandalf sighed in relief when Pippin said he had told Sauron nothing, and he looked to Aragorn and Erytheia to see if they had seen or said anything. He motioned Eomer to a bed and the man laid her down gently, Aragorn laid out on the floor as he began waking with a fierce nausea.

"She had a dream that frightened her," Eomer told Gandalf, "but she could not remember what it was."

"Yes, I have felt the enemy in her mind. She would be too great of a weapon should he get his hands on her." Gandalf stood by her side and stared down at her, having known Sauron had been reaching for her and still continued to.

"She came to me so confused," Eomer said as he smoothed her hair away from her face.

"He was trying to seduce her to him, to make her think she had no reason to stay. What did she tell you?"

"She did not think he could love her for what she was, and she thought it unfair to Aragorn to speak to him of it," Eomer answered.

Gandalf nodded, looking over at Aragorn to see him sitting up with his head in his hands; and Legolas standing behind him with a hand on his shoulder pretending to not listen though hanging on every word. "Yes, he was trying to separate her from the two people she cares for the most. He did not think she would have anyone to go to, for all the irritation you cause her," the wizard told him. Éomer smiled before kissing her forehead.

Eomer smiled before covering her and getting to his feet. "I will wake the king."


End file.
